Destine de l'amour
by Love-Pink26
Summary: In a far away land there sat four kingdoms, each fighting a bitter war for power and land. What will happen when one Kingdom is pulled apart by an evil plan that sets in motion the end of the Great War. Will it go as planned or will darkness rule forever?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just a bio kind of page. To give you guys bit of background and so you hopefully won't be lost. I would like to thank Harry Potter lexicon and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for giving me the information needed for the beasts. As you can see, I added some changes to some of the beasts. **

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and if I had come up with more that my measly characters I would not be writing this. Hey measly . . . that gives me an idea for a character name. How about Weasley? Oh wait. Never mind. I'm NOT JK Rowling! **

**An A to Z of the Humdrum Hayday **

_**Gryffindor**__:_

**Andromeda: **Sirius' cousin and oldest sister of Onora. She ran away when she was seventeen and met her husband Ted. She works as a dress maker in the Town of Valiant and has a thirteen year old daughter, Nymphadora.

**Cornelia:** Also known as Cora. Nora's only other friend from Slytherin. The two girls met and became friends when Sirius left to train for knighthood. Cora is from a family of rich merchants. She, like Sirius and Nora, doesn't like her kingdom or the brother and his family she is forced to live with.

**James:** Only son and heir to the thrown. At the age of 9 goes through the Ordeal of Knighthood as is common for all princes. Very mischievous, always getting into trouble and loves to go on adventures, exploring the areas around the castle. Once or twice a year, he takes a trip into the Wandering Woods.

**King Harold and Queen Margaret: **King and Queen of Gryffindor. They are very old and decided to have James late in life.

**Nymphadora: **Also known a Dora. She is the only daughter of Ted and Andromeda. Has a crush on Remus.

**Peter: **Only son and bastard child of the court seamstress. Bullied and friendless by the kids on his village, Prince James takes pity on him and becomes his friend. Peter loves the power being a friend of a prince brings. He is a very ambitious boy and can some times be cunning.

**Remus: **The son of Prince James' tutor. His father, John, started taking Remus to his lessons with James and the two boys became great friends. Remus is studying under his father, for he wants to become a professor when he is older. Only known to his close friends, his parents and the King and Queen, Remus is a werewolf, bitten when he was a little boy.

**Sirius: **A knight of Gryffindor and close friend and body guard of Prince James. He ran away from his kingdom, Slytherin, when he was thirteen with his cousin, Onora. He now lives in Gryffindor with his cousin Andromeda, known as Andi, who is a dress maker in the town of Valiant.

**Ted: **Husband to Andromeda, father of Nymphadora. He is a soldier in the kingdom of Gryffindor.

_**Hufflepuff:**_

**Alex: **Prince of Hufflepuff and younger brother of Princess Vanessa.

**Grace: **Hidden daughter of Voldemort. Her mother was the only woman Voldemort ever loved and that is the reason he keeps Grace alive. At the age of ten, she becomes a maidservant for Lord Cygnus' second oldest daughter, Narcissa. When her mothers' maidservant dies, she runs away, at the age of twelve, from Slytherin. She ends up in Hufflepuff where she is found by Sir Dominick, an older knight. He takes her in and shortly after, she becomes a maidservant for Princess Vanessa.

**King Marc and Queen Anne: **King and Queen of Hufflepuff. Have two children, Princess Vanessa and Prince Alex.

**Vanessa: **Princess of Hufflepuff.

_**Ravenclaw:**_

**Daisy: **Princess and youngest daughter of King Mortimer and Queen Rose. A very quiet and shy girl that prefers to sit in the library and read than to explore outside. Very close with her older sister, Princess Lily. Gets into a fight with her oldest sister, Princess Petunia so now the two never speak.

**Kiptyn: **A knight of Ravenclaw and the twin brother of Miri. Best friends with fellow knight, Sir William and through him, friends with Princesses Lily and Daisy and her other maidservant, Nora.

**Lily: **Princess and middle daughter. Her parents name her Crown Princess which starts a fight between herself and her older sister, Princess Petunia. Daisy takes Lily side in the fight and the two sisters become estranged from Petunia. She is very adventurous and mischievous, loves to explore the outside with her two maidservants and friends, Miri and Nora. Very good friends with Sir William, a knight on her parents court.

**Miriam: **Also known as Miri. She is the daughter of the best palace cook. Since she was six, she has been helping her mother in the kitchens. It was during one of these visits that she met Princess Lily. The two became fast friends and Princess Lily made Miri her maidservant so the girls could be closer. Has a twin brother, Sir Kiptyn.

**Onora: **Also known as Nora. The second youngest daughter of Lord Cygnus and Lady Druella of Slytherin. Admires her oldest sister, Andromeda and strives to be like her. At the age of thirteen, she runs away with her cousin, Sirius, to join her sister in Gryffindor. They get separated in the Wandering Woods and she ends up in Ravenclaw. Princess Lily feels sorry for the young girl and decides to make Nora her maidservant.

**Petunia: **Princess and oldest daughter. Marries Lord Vernon shortly after her falling out with her sisters and moves into his mansion at the edge of Ravenclaw. She sparingly sees her family, only during holidays and special occasions.

**William: **Also known as Will. A knight of Ravenclaw. Friend and protector of Princess Lily. Makes it his job to be her personal bodyguard. During the trials of Knighthood, he meets Kiptyn and the two become fast friends. Known to no one except Princess Lily, he is in love with Miri.

_**Slytherin:**_

**Ahti: **Young sorcerer at King Voldemort's court.

**Bellatrix: **Youngest daughter of Lord Cygnus and Lady Druella. Looks up to and admires King Voldemort. Does anything she can to please him. Betrothed to Sir Rudolphus, one of King Voldemort's high ranking knights. Rumors say she loves King Voldemort.

**Cygnus and Druella: **Lord and Lady of Voldemort's court and his close friends. Have four daughters, Andromeda, Narcissa, Onora and Bellatrix.

**Narcissa: **Lord Cygnus and Lady Druella's second oldest daughter. Married to Sir Lucius, a high ranking knight at Voldemort's court.

**Sir Orion and Walburga: **Lord and Lady of Voldemort's court. Orion is the highest ranking knight at Voldemort's court. Have two sons, Sirius and Regulus.

**Regulus: **Sir Orion and Lady Walburga's youngest son. Always trying to prove himself and striving to be his parents' favorite. Constantly fighting with his older brother, Sirius, but deep down loves him dearly and admires him. Becomes a knight at Voldemort's court, just like his father.

**King Voldemort: **A ruthless old King. He fears death and The Dementors, and is always trying to find a new way to become immortal. He has had many wives, selecting only the most beautiful girls in the country. He desires a male heir but all of his wives give him children. In anger, he has his daughters disowned and his wives beheaded. The only woman he ever truly loved was his sixth wife, Queen Susan. After five years of marriage, she dies in childbirth, delivering their daughter, Grace. Claiming the baby died with it's mother, Voldemort hands her over to his wife's maidservant who raises the girl.

_**Beats (usually found in the Wandering Wood):**_

**X – Boring**

**XX – Harmless**

**XXX – Can Cope**

**XXXX – Dangerous**

**XXXXX – Very Dangerous**

**Acromantula (XXXXX): **Gigantic black spider with a poisonous bite.

**Bowtruckle (XX): **Small insect-eating tree dweller with long sharp fingers. Can be mistaken for a stick or twig. Known as the guardian of trees and is usually peaceful unless it or the tree it dwells in is threatened.

**Boggart (XXXXX): **A shape shifter that dwells in dark places and/or only comes out at night. Takes the form of what it's victim fears the most and then kills you with that fear.

**Centaur (XXXX): A **Half man, half horse protector of the forest. They read the stars and can sometimes predict future events. Peaceful unless provoked.

**Dementors (Sons of Death – no rating): **Appear to those who are dying, take the soul to Death itself.

**Doxy or Biting Fairy (XXX): **A small fairy, covered in black hair. They have very sharp venomous teeth that cause paralysis when bitten.

**Dragon (XXXXX): **A large flying reptile that breaths fire. There are many different types found all across the lands.

**Fairy (XX): **Small human-like creatures with wings. They are very vain and have a range of different colors.

**Ghoul (XX): **Slimy, ugly creatures that dwell in abandoned houses, barns and other buildings. They are relatively harmless, and defend themselves by throwing objects around a room. They eat only insects.

**Hickypunk (XXXX): **Small, one-legged creature that has an appearance of smoke. Carries around a light to lure travelers into bogs and drown them.

**Hippogriff (XXX): **Flying creature with the head, wings and forelegs of an eagle and body, hind legs and tail of a horse. A very prideful creature that can be dangerous if not handled correctly.

**Jobberknoll (XX): **Tiny, blue speckled bird that makes no sound except when it is dying, when it emits a loud scream consisting of all the sounds it has ever heard. Feathers are very important and when ground up correctly can cure most ailments.

**Kappa (XXXX): **A water dweller that resembles a monkey with webbed hands. Grabs and strangles victims that wander into it's pond.

**Mooncalves (XX): **A creature that lives in a burrow and comes out at a full moon and dances, glowing pale blue and pale yellow in the moonlight.

**Owl (XX): **Intelligent birds sometimes used to carry letters. Harmless unless provoked, then they use their razor sharp talons to attack.

**Puffskein (XX): **Long tongued fur ball that makes calming purring noises. Found all over in the wild and usually kept as household pets for young children.

**Red Caps (XXX): **Small goblin-like creatures that love bloodshed and can be found around areas of great death. They will beat to death wounded victims they find.

**Unicorn (XXXX): **Pure white, horse-like creature with a single horn on the center of their head. Their blood has been known to cure most ailments and can also keep the drinker alive.

**Werewolf (XXXXX): **A human infected with lycanthropy. Turns into a werewolf at every full moon. Can only be infected from the bite of another werewolf. When in the human form, they are as harmless as any other human, but become very dangerous when they are transformed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As you can tell this is an AU story. You will recognize some characters from HP and anyone you don't recognize is mine. I'd like to give credit to the Inkheart trilogy which helped shape this story a bit and also to Tamora Pierce's Tortall Universe (both series are great books btw, I recommend you read them) which gave me some great ideas. So anything you may recognize from either, I credit them with it. Once again, anything else you don't recognize is mine. **

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling nor Cornelia Funke nor Tamora Pierce whom I thank for giving me many wonderful ideas that helped shape this story. **

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Once upon a time . . . there lay four kingdoms in a distant land. Fair Ravenclaw to the north, surrounded by mountains where game was not hard to find. In the east lay Hufflepuff with its bountiful farmland. In the west was Gryffindor, sunny shores and calm oceans blessed this land with plenty of fish. And in the south was Slytherin. Ruled by darkness it had the fiercest warriors any land has seen. In the early days, when the land was newly formed, there were four rulers sent to guard the lands. Wise Rowena, Queen of Ravenclaw, was always quick with her bow, she graced her friends with bountiful game. Brave Godric, King of Gryffindor, was quick on the sea, never coming back empty handed. He introduced his friends to the taste of fish and other sea life. Fair Helga, Queen of Hufflepuff, worked all year long, the hardest of them all, she gave them the taste of sweet fruit and wonderful vegetables that she created herself. Then there was the cunning Salazar, King of Slytherin. He brought to his friends, new and different ways of thinking. Never did he lift a finger to help survive, he stole and cheated his friends of all they had. After years of arguing, the four friends split, never speaking to each other.

For many years, the kingdoms, ruled by their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on, lived amicably, trading when necessary. It was when the Prince of Slytherin, a young boy named Tom, took the throne. He ruled his kingdom in darkness. He never cared for the smaller people and only looked after himself. He grew into a vain man, changed his name to what he thought only a strong ruler would be called. He called himself Voldemort, a name that one day, most people would be fearful to say. For years, Voldemort married only the prettiest girls of the land, hoping that one day he would have a male heir who he could instruct and have take over the kingdom. For many years he tried, but all of his wives gave him daughters. Unhappy with this, he had the mothers beheaded and his daughters disowned and cast out. As the years wore on, he grew old and tired. Fearful of what would happen if he passed, he began searching for ways to stay young forever. To be immortal was his greatest wish. In his old age, he became an even more ruthless ruler. When one of his advisors would return with bad news, he would immediately hang him on the gallows, as a warning for all bearers of bad news.

Voldemort feared the Dementors, or the Sons of Death. There were rumors that they visited him at night, haunting his dreams when he slept, reaching out for him with their cold, dead, scaly fingers. There were many nights he would wake up the entire castle and order a feast to be prepared, anything to keep him awake. And if he was to be awake and fearful, so should the rest in his castle. Why should they sleep peacefully in their warm beds when he, the King, was so close to death. It was on one of these such nights that he met her. Susan. She was the beautiful daughter of a noble staying in the castle at Voldemort's request. It was her golden hair that first caught his attention. The way it danced in the moonlight captivated him. When their eyes met, her crystal blue with his pale green, he felt a shiver run through his spine. He was elated when he saw her subtle blush before she hid behind her hair. It was only months later that the two were married. He had never felt so much happiness in his life. The kingdom was thankful to their new Queen. It seemed she was the only one Voldemort would listen to, and because of this, she had saved many innocent lives.

They ruled in happiness together for five years when Susan became pregnant with their child. For the first time, he didn't care whether it was a boy or girl, it was a piece of Susan, and for that Voldemort was happy. It was well after midnight when Susan awoke with pains in her stomach. Worried for the baby, she sent Voldemort to get the palace physician. The sun was beginning to rise over the dark sea when the doctor stepped out of the room, blood all over his clothes and his face pale. Somewhere deep inside the room, he heard the cry of a newborn baby. The physician turned to him with sad eyes. He told Voldemort how they had delivered the baby safely and that she was fine. Voldemort didn't even register his words. He kept peering over his shoulder, trying to glimpse his beloved Susan.

"There's nothing else I can do. I'm sorry." He told the fearsome King, his head hanging low. Voldemort's head snapped in his direction. He gave the man a questioning look, not hearing what he said. The physician gulped.

"Your wife has lost a lot of blood." He told him. "She is going to die, and there is nothing I can do." The poor man regretted his words later.

Voldemort burst into the room. There was his wife, lying on their bed, her face as pale as the moon. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, but whether from joy or pain, Voldemort would never know. She looked at him and whispered two words. Baby and Grace. Those two words seemed to cause her a lot of pain. Voldemort flew to the side of the bed and took her hand in his, it felt like ice. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Her smile still managed to melt his heart. She looked at him once more and whispered, I love you. And then she was still. Voldemort sat by her side for hours, weeping for his wife. Never in his life had he felt so much pain. Everyone exited the room. Only the baby stayed behind. It was then that he saw them. The Dementors. He did not notice them appear, but now they reached their scaly hands out to his wife's beautiful face. Voldemort sat there and felt nothing but defeat. With her soul collected, the Dementors turned to leave. They glanced at him before they disappeared and Voldemort felt like they were saying, 'You're next'.

Over the next few weeks, Voldemort barricaded himself in his new room, one as far from the other as possible. He let his deceased wife's maidservant take care of his new daughter, who at the dying wishes of her mother was named Grace. To the rest of the kingdom, Grace had died along with her mother. Only that maidservant knew the truth, and Voldemort made sure she would never tell. He didn't want anyone else to know about his failure of producing a son. On the fourth week after Susan's death, Voldemort finally emerged. He ordered his friend and head knight, Sir Orion to assemble a few troops to set off at sunset. Puzzled, he did as told. When they returned the next day, they carried behind them two dead unicorns. The people of Slytherin were appalled. A unicorn was a beautiful and harmless animal. While its blood had healing properties it was an awful crime to kill one. It was from his new sorcerer, Ahti, Voldemort learned that by drinking unicorn blood, a person could become immortal.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

A year. It had been a miserable, lonely year since his beloved Susan had been taken from him. And left behind was his daughter, whom he couldn't even look at, because every time he looked into her eyes, he saw Susan. For their daughter had inherited her mothers crystal blue eyes, even her hair was the same shade, that wonderful golden hair that still danced in the moonlight in his dreams. Voldemort entrusted the care for the girl to one of Susan's old maids and as far as he knew the old woman loved the little girl like her own daughter. Voldemort did not cast out his daughter, as he had done so many times before. It was because she reminded him of his beloved that he let her stay in the castle, and when she was old enough she would work alongside the maid who was her only mother figure.

It was during the night of one of these days in that long year. Voldemort had been drinking the unicorn blood successfully every night. He did not feel stronger than he already was, but he certainly did not feel any older either. And it was that that told him the unicorn blood was working and that is was preserving his strength. It was late at night, almost midnight when Sir Orion returned from the daily hunting trip. It had taken him longer, he explained, because he had a nasty run in with a centaur.

"The bloodthirsty creature was trying to defend the unicorn." He told him. "But he was no match for us." He held up the horn of the unicorn, covered in blood.

"And what of the centaur?" Voldemort asked.

"We bound him and took him to the dungeons to await his punishment. But he had some pretty interesting things to say." Voldemort looked at him with something akin to speculation. "He said something about a prophecy the stars have unfolded." Voldemort quickly stood up from his chair.

"Show me." He told Sir Orion who nodded and led the way to the dungeons, a few guards followed silently behind them.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The dungeons were located deep under the castle, the only source of light being the low burning torches that hung on the walls. The walls and floors were damp with the water that seeped onto them from the Perpetual River that flowed above them. Sir Orion led Voldemort down the small corridor, lined with endless rows of cells. Most of the cells were occupied, holding robbers and law breakers combined. Some said that if the gallows did not get you, the dungeons would with their constant moisture and everlasting darkness. It was enough to drive even the bravest of men insane. Sir Orion stopped in front of one of the cells. Voldemort walked up beside him and peered in through the bars. The centaur was standing bravely, looking at the two of them. His horse body was a chestnut color and his human head was covered with brown hair. Voldemort's eyes met his steely gray stare.

"I have been told you wish to speak with me." He told the centaur. He bowed his head to Voldemort.

"Indeed my King. But only in exchange for my freedom."

"We shall see." Voldemort told the beast. His gaze told him to continue.

"It was four nights ago, my King," he started. "When the stars spoke of things to come." Voldemort looked uninterestedly at him. "They have foretold of a prophecy. It says that in 16 years, a strong and powerful king will meet a beautiful princess and that the union of the two will be the end of this war and that he shall have a son."

Voldemort looked up at the centaur, hardly believing his ears. Many have said that he is the most powerful king of all, so the prophecy had to be about him. But what of this beautiful princess? The centaur cleared his throat.

"My liege?" He asked. "I have delivered you the prophecy. Please let me go."

Voldemort waved his hand nonchalantly. "Yes indeed." He said, for he was in to good of a mood to punish the brute. In only sixteen years he would be the greatest king of them all and he would have the son he so desired. Sir Orion opened the cell and sent the centaur with two of the guards to be released. He turned to Voldemort, they were now alone.

"What do you think my Lord?" He asked him quietly.

"Well obviously the prophecy speaks of myself, but I must find this princess and make sure that everything turns out the way I want." Sir Orion looked at Voldemort and saw an eager look in his eyes. "Send for Lord Cygnus. I have a job for him." Voldemort told Sir Orion. He bowed and quickly left the dungeons. Voldemort stood there, relishing in the fact that in sixteen short years, his dreams and ambitions would finally come true.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The next day, Voldemort met with Lord Cygnus.

"I have a special job for you." Voldemort told him. "I want you to travel to the other kingdoms. I am looking for a beautiful princess."

"Yes my Lord." He said, bowing to his king.

"I want you to report back to me when you return. I give you two months before I expect you back here. That should be plenty of time."

Lord Cygnus bowed again. Voldemort smiled his twisted smile at the man. Lord Cygnus was a very close friend of Voldemort's and the only one he would trust with this mission.

"How are your daughters?" Voldemort asked him. Lord Cygnus smiled a little hesitantly.

"Narcissa and Onora are wonderful. Narcissa has been betrothed to Sir Lucius, whom I believe you know." His voice clearly full of pride. "They are expected to wed on her fifteenth birthday."

"Wonderful news. Sir Lucius is a good man and a great soldier, one of my best actually. What a fine choice." He said with an approving nod. "And what of little Onora?"

"Healthy and taking her first steps. Just the other day she called me papa." There was clear admiration on his face. Voldemort nodded mutely. They did not discuss Lord Cygnus' third and eldest daughter whom everyone thought of a great stain on a wonderful family name. Andromeda, the eldest, had moved to the kingdom of Gryffindor earlier that year. Her parents were ashamed since Gryffindor was Slytherin's worst enemy, more so than the other two kingdoms. The two men finished their talk and then went their separate ways. Lord Cygnus departed for the kingdoms the following day.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

It had been two months and Lord Cygnus was not back yet. Voldemort was beginning to worry for the first time that maybe that foolish centaur had lied for his freedom. That maybe there was no prophecy and no beautiful princess. Voldemort was getting ready to send a hunting party out to find that foolish centaur, when Lord Cygnus rode through the castle gates. Voldemort quickly led the man to his private study at the top of one of the castle towers. It was there that Lord Cygnus told of his journey.

His first stop had been at the kingdom of Hufflepuff. There lived King Marc and Queen Anne. They had a one year old daughter, Princess Vanessa who was as beautiful at the age of one as her mother. She had beautiful chocolate brown eyes and brown hair to match.

His next stop was at the kingdom of Gryffindor, at the home of King Harold and Queen Margaret. They had no daughters. Only a year old son, Prince James.

His final stop was at the kingdom of Ravenclaw. King Mortimer and Queen Rose had three beautiful daughters. The eldest, Princess Petunia was 10 years old and betrothed to Lord Vernon. Their middle daughter, Princess Lily was the most beautiful one year old girl he had ever laid eyes on. Even at the age of one, he could tell that she would grow into a beautiful princess with her stunning emerald green eyes and auburn hair. Lord Cygnus believed that this was the girl Voldemort was looking for. The third daughter, Princess Daisy, had just been born earlier that month.

Voldemort was elated with the news that Lord Cygnus brought him. So the old centaur had not been lying after all. It seemed he had found his princess. Lord Cygnus then explained to him how Ravenclaw was having a celebration in a months' time to celebrate the birth of the new princess. Voldemort arranged for Lord Cygnus to travel there with Ahti, his sorcerer. That night, Voldemort ordered a feast in honor of Lord Cygnus and his family

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Lord Cygnus and Ahti arrived in Ravenclaw the day of the festivities. The people in the streets were loud and boisterous, celebrating the birth of a new princess. They were led to the castle and into the ballroom. They were there as representatives of Slytherin. Lord Cygnus, followed quietly by Ahti, walked up to the King and Queen, who was holding the baby bundle in her arms. Lord Cygnus bowed to the royals.

"King Voldemort sends his best wishes to Your Majesties and your family and congratulates you on the birth of your daughter." He said sweetly.

King Mortimer and Queen Rose smiled. "Thank you very much." The King told him. "We are so very sorry King Voldemort couldn't be here himself." The Queen said earnestly. Minstrel's sung all across the lands of Ravenclaw's gentle queen. They sung not only of her beauty but of her pure heart and trusting personality. Lord Cygnus could hear Ahti quietly reciting to himself. Good, then everything was going as planned.

"And how are the other two princesses?" Lord Cygnus asked them, drawing their attention away from the man behind him. "Are they coping well with their new sister?" He laughed. "I remember when we introduced our daughter Narcissa to her new little sister, Onora. She was mad for weeks at us." He chuckled quietly again.

The King and Queen also laughed. "Yes well Petunia seems to be having the most trouble. It's bad enough she has one younger sister stealing her parents' attention, but now she has two." The King said, looking across the hall at his blonde haired daughter who was dancing with her betrothed, Lord Vernon. "But our little Lily seems to be alright, she loves playing with Daisy here."

"And what of your newest daughter?" The Queen asked. "I believe your wife has just had another girl?"

"Yes. Our Bellatrix. Narcissa is better with her than she was with Onora, she is now used to not being the youngest anymore. And Nora is very sweet with little Bella. I think they will all be very close sisters." He said with pride. Little did he know how wrong he would be.

"Well that's nice." The Queen remarked. For a moment, the King and Queen fell silent. Lord Cygnus saw their eyes glaze over, but the next moment they were back to normal and smiling. Lord Cygnus felt Ahti lightly poke him in the back. He was finished.

"Oh. Where are my manners." Lord Cygnus suddenly exclaimed. "Forgive my old age Your Majesties, but this here is Ahti, King Voldemort's newest scribe. He has been dying for years to see the Woods and lands that lay outside of Slytherin. And how could I deny him.?" Lord Cygnus sighed.

"There is nothing to apologize for, Lord Cygnus. It is very nice to meet you Ahti. I do hope you are having a nice journey." The King told the young man. Ahti ducked his head and silently nodded. The King laughed. "Wonderful."

Little Daisy picked that moment to emit a soft whine from her mothers arms. Both parents looked down at the little girl lovingly.

"Well it seems someone has had enough for one day." The King and Queen looked at Lord Cygnus and Ahti.

"Please forgive my wife and myself. It seems we should put Daisy down for her nap."

"Of course." Lord Cygnus told them, bowing once again.

"Give my regards to your wife." Queen Rose told him as she was led away by her husband. Lord Cygnus nodded his head and watched them leave. He led Ahti to a secluded corner of the room.

"Well?" He asked the young man impatiently.

"It is done." Ahti responded. "They will agree to give their daughter, Princess Lily to Voldemort on her seventeenth birthday."

Lord Cygnus smiled happily. He couldn't wait to give King Voldemort the good news. Everything was going according to plan.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**A/N: Ok so this was a long one. Just a heads up, I don't think the other chapters will be this long, but I guess we will see. This just needed to long to explain and start everything. So I hope you guys all enjoyed this. Please leave me a review and tell me what you think and whether I should continue. =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ok bear with me on this one. It starts out kind of slow but I stink at starting chapters. Lol. But I promise you it does get better! =) Thanks to Freakiess my only reviewer. And a thanks to all of you who are reading this.**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

In the kingdom of Slytherin there lived a small family. Sir Orion was a highly respected and feared man and the best knight of King Voldemort's court. No one dared cross the man for fear of upsetting the King. It was on a cold night just after the Winter solstice, that his wife Walburga gave birth to their first son whom they named Sirius in honor of the only star that appeared that night. Sirius was the tiny apple of his parents' eye. They spoiled him and gave him everything he could ever want. When his brother, Regulus was born the following year, his parents did not try to hide the fact that Sirius was perfect, and poor little Regulus had to grow up hidden in his brothers shadow. As the years went by and Sirius got older, he started to resent his parents for the unfair treatment they gave his brother. He started doing all he could to convince his parents that he was not perfect. At the age of five, he stole his father's horse and rode it through his mother's prized flowers, thinking that they would both be furious at him. Instead his parents whisked him into their arms, exclaiming how happy they were that he was safe after that crazy horse lost control. Sirius groaned. He felt bad later when he found out his dad had shot the horse.

It seemed that no matter how much Sirius tried to talk to Regulus and convince him that he hated his treatment, his brother never listened. Sirius liked to think that there was a time when he and his brother were close, but if you asked him to recall a specific memory, he would turn up blank. So the two brothers grew up constantly competing with each other.

A little ways down the road lived Walburga's brother, Lord Cygnus, his wife Lady Druella and their four daughters. Their eldest daughter was named Andromeda, the second eldest was Narcissa, next was Onora who was the same age as Sirius and then there was Bellatrix, the baby of the family who was also the same age as Regulus. Andromeda and Onora, also known as Nora, were the only ones Sirius liked in his family. But sadly Sirius never got to know his eldest cousin, for she left for the kingdom of Gryffindor when he was only a year old. But the two constantly corresponded through letters. Sirius grew up very close to his cousin Nora and the two were like best friends, sharing secrets and adventures.

When Sirius was nine, his father gave him the wonderful news that Sirius was to start the trials of Knighthood, just as he had done when he was his age. Sirius was reluctant to go but in the end was forced by his parents. He spent four lonely years as a page, never once making any friends. He hated everyone there, and said they were all evil. He didn't want to become a knight for an evil ruler. It was the summer after his fourth year as a page. When the fall came, he was to start his first year of two as a squire. But Sirius had no plans of returning. He and Nora were down by the Perpetual River, skipping rocks.

"Let's run away." He suddenly said. Nora looked at him with a skeptical look. "I'm serious." He told her. He quickly hit his head as he realized his mistake and saw Nora smile her famous mischievous smile.

"I know you are." The two burst out laughing. It was a beautiful sunny day. Nora laid back on the rock she was sitting on and let the sun warm up her face. She felt Sirius lay down beside her.

"Aren't you sick of them?" He asked her quietly. "And they way they treat not only us but everyone around them." She looked at him wearily.

"Your parents treat you like a prince." She pointed out to him. He gritted his teeth in anger. He hated the way his parents still believe he could do no harm.

"That's what I mean. They don't even treat me like a normal person." He clenched his fists in anger. Nora looked at him sympathetically. Her parents weren't as bad as his, but she did hate they way they were and everything they represented. The more she thought about it, the more she liked Sirius' idea. They sat in silence for some time, watching the fairies fly around the water and admire themselves. Nora smiled as she saw a defiant green fairy splash some water on a purple one that was fixing her hair in the reflection of the water.

"Do you think it's possible?" She asked him quietly. He could hear the hope in her voice, but he also heard how scared she was. He didn't have to ask her what she meant, they often thought along the same line.

"Andi did it." Was all he said. They sat there in silence until the sun began to set behind the tallest tree. They quietly got up and headed home. They reached Nora's house first.

"Tomorrow night." She whispered quietly so no one could hear them. "Pack as much as you'll need, but just the basics, food, clothes and such." He nodded at her, making a checklist in his head.

"Well meet by the old oak tree on the other side of the river." He told her while giving her a hug. He felt her nod. He watched her walk into the house, the streets of Slytherin were not safe, especially at night and especially for girls. The walk home was short for him, to short for his liking. He walked into his house and settled at the table that his mother was just finishing setting for dinner.

"Did you have a fun time with your cousin Siri." His mother pat him on the head like he was the household dog. Sirius gritted his teeth. He hated when people called him Siri, especially his mother. It sounded like rotten candy coming from her mouth. The only person he let call him that was Nora.

"Yes." He always gave his parents one word answers, but it never seemed to phase them.

"Dinner smells wonderful, mother." Regulus' slimy voice entered the kitchen. Sirius closed his eyes and counted to ten. He hated his brother's such up voice. Regulus was always trying to say and do things that would make him their favorite. _Well soon you'll be their only son and they'll have no choice. _Sirius thought to himself a little maliciously. Just then his father walked into the room.

"Sirius m'boy!" He yelled, walking over to Sirius and giving him a big clap on the back, something he thought was a fatherly gesture but something Sirius always hated. The force sent Sirius forward and knocked a little bit of air out of his lungs. Sirius had to clench his fists until his knuckles turned white to stop himself from hitting his father back. They all settled down and started having the dinner. The conversation that night being the latest beheading of some robber who had stolen a loaf of bread. Sirius kept his eyes downcast, he had heard this story from Nora. The man had stolen the bread to feed it to his wife and starving children. He felt bad for the man. _I can't wait to be out of this sick and twisted place. And wherever I go, I am going to make a difference! _He vowed to himself. After dinner he went up to his room and started rummaging around to find what he would need for the journey. As he lay down to bed, he thought silently to himself, _One more day._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Onora walked into her house, she watched Sirius leave through the window.

"Onora!" She heard her oldest sister, Narcissa yell from behind her. "Where have you been?" She asked, her eyes ablaze. Narcissa was a beautiful, tall and slender girl with pale blonde hair and steely gray eyes, the same eyes as all her sisters. Everyone often said, that if it weren't for the age difference, that Narcissa and Nora could be twins.

"Out with Sirius. What's it to you?" She asked coldly. She pushed past her sister and walked into the kitchen. She saw her mother frantically stirring a pot of something over the open flame. Her hair was frizzing from the steam rising from the pot. Narcissa followed her up to her room.

"We have guests coming tonight. Have you forgotten?" Onora looked at her like she had just noticed her for the first time.

"What are you doing here?" She said curiously. "And where is dear Lucius?" she added in a mocking voice. Nora saw a look pass across her sisters face, but she must have imagined it for the next moment it was gone, replaced with a steely look.

"He is away at the moment. I'm here to help prepare for tonight." She stated matter-of-factly. Nora looked at her curiously. She couldn't remember what it was her parents told her about that made tonight so special. Suddenly she heard her youngest sister screech from her bedroom.

"Ahhhhh!" She yelled. "Cissy!" Narcissa gave Nora a look, one that said oh please and walked out of the bedroom. Nora creeped quietly behind them. She stood outside of Bellatrix's door, listening to her sisters.

"Which dress Cissy?" She heard Bella demanding. "Everything has to be perfect for tonight."

"Bella, no matter which one you wear, you will look beautiful." He sister told her kindly. Nora snorted. Bella was pretty, but to an extent. She was just as tall as her older sisters, but had dark black hair and had heavily lidded gray eyes. She looked nothing like her two older sisters, who each had blonde hair. She heard footsteps, and suddenly Bella's face rounded the doorway.

"Think something's funny, do you?" She glared icily at her older sister. Nora saw that her hair was a mess and she held two dresses in her arms. She never liked her younger sister. There would always be that love, the one your born with that connects you to certain people, but she never liked her sister. She was closer with Narcissa, who also had her days. She smiled sweetly at Bella.

"I'm just laughing because you're stressing out to much. Of course everything will be fine." She plastered a big supportive smile on her face. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Narcissa roll her eyes and silently sigh. All this passed unknowingly by Bella. She eyed Nora distrustfully then turned on her heel, walked back into her room and slammed the door shut. Narcissa shook her head then walked back downstairs, probably to help their mother with dinner.

A few hours later, they were all sat around the kitchen table. Nora was pushing her stew around her plate, a bored look on her face. Their guest for that night was Bella's suitor, a knight by the name of Sir Rudolphus. He was really good friends with Narcissa's husband, Lucius and one of Voldemort's favorite knights. Nora was sitting there, listening to him ramble on and on about some special mission he had to go on for King Voldemort that involved a lot of killing of innocent people and another slaying of a unicorn. Nora thought this deed sick, to slay an animal that was so beautiful and harmless, but the entire kingdom knew of the reason's why King Voldemort did what he did. She looked over at Narcissa who had the same look on her face as Nora. So she was bored with this man too. She looked at her parents, they were smiling, obviously happy thinking they made the right choice for Bella. And then there was Bella herself. She was hanging onto every word that left Rudolphus' mouth, oo-ing an ah-ing at the appropriate moments and clapping when he mentioned something he thought was brave that he did. The next story he told had Nora's blood burning. She wasted to punch the over pompous jerk in the nose for what he was saying.

"So we dragged the worthless vermin by the hair to the gallows. Old fool was crying and begging for his life the entire walk there. We wrapped the noose around his neck tight and before we could hear the brute utter another pointless word we pulled the switch and left him hanging." He finished his story, a big smile on his face like he had just done the world a ton of good. Bella looked at him admiringly.

"You were awfully brave." She told him while batting her eyelashes. He smiled lovingly at her. Nora clenched her fists and but her tongue so she wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Yes it's riffraff like that that is making this city go down the drain." Something in Nora snapped at Rudolphus' words. She quickly stood up, red in the face.

"The man was trying to get food to feed his starving family!" She yelled at him. Rudolphus also rose from the table, glaring at Nora.

"That does not give him the right to steal." He said in a dangerously quiet voice. But that did not scare her, she was not a typical girl and she certainly didn't scare easy.

"Maybe not." She said, her gaze as equally hateful as his. "But maybe if our wonderful King," Nobody missed the sarcasm in her voice. "Did something besides sit on his over pompous arse caring about no one but himself, then this city would be a better place." Narcissa was sitting there with her head in her hands, her parents were trying to silently tell her to sit back down and apologize. Bella was glaring the worst of daggers at her, outraged that her sister would ruin her night. With one final look around the table she excused herself and went up to her room. On the steps, she could hear her parents and Bella apologizing profusely. She rolled her eyes and went into her room. She shut the door behind her and started gathering her things. She wouldn't be able to last even one more night in this house and in this kingdom. She was almost done packing when she heard her door quietly open. She quickly turned around, trying to hide her bag and saw Narcissa standing in the doorway.

"You shouldn't have lost your temper like that." She told her gently. Nora glared at her and finished packing up her bag.

"Nora, what are you doing?" She asked her calmly.

"What does it look like?" She asked icily, her back still turned on Narcissa. "I'm packing." She was having trouble buttoning her bag, her hands were shaking with too much rage. She felt the cool, slender hands of Narcissa on hers. Narcissa gently removed Nora's hands and fastened the bag for her. Nora looked at her suspiciously.

"You're not going to tell anyone?"

"I didn't with Andi either." Nora looked at her sister, shocked.

"You knew about . . . "

"For sometime, yes." Nora couldn't believe her ears. She knew Narcissa had been close with their oldest sister, but she had no idea. She quickly hugged her. "You should go and stay with her in Gryffindor. I get letters from time-to-time of how happy she is. You know she has a ten year old daughter." Narcissa smiled lovingly at her. Nora did not realize that her mouth was hanging open in shock until Narcissa gently closed it. She couldn't help the hurt feeling that passed through her thought at the thought that Andi wrote to Narcissa, but not to her. Narcissa seemed to be reading her thoughts.

"She couldn't write to everyone, but I did fill a lot of letters about you. She wishes that she could have gotten to know you." Narcissa told her. Nora nodded quietly.

"I'll write to Andi soon and tell her to be expecting you."

"And Sirius." Nora added quietly, still in shock of her sister's attitude.

Narcissa smiled. "I should have known you two would do something like this." Nora smiled a genuine smile for the first time that night. Together they threw Nora's bag out of the window. It landed in the bushes below.

"You should leave around midnight. Everyone will be asleep and the moon bright enough so that you can see." She hugged her sister.

"Come with us Cissy. Start a new life." Nora looked pleadingly at her older sister. Narcissa smiled a sad smile.

"I can't." She told her. "My life is here with my husband who, believe it or not, I do actually love. My family is here." She smiled, placing her right hand over top of her belly. Nora's eyes widened in shock. She looked at the place her sister's hand was resting.

"Do you mean?" She asked quietly, hardly believing what she was hearing and seeing. Narcissa smiled and nodded her head. Nora hugged her sister again, but more gently this time for fear of harming the baby growing inside of Narcissa.

"How long have you known?" She asked, smiling genuinely again.

"Since yesterday morning. I told Lucius before her left."

"Does anyone else know?" Nora asked her.

"I was planning on telling everyone tonight after Rudolphus left."

Nora looked at her feet. "I'm sorry." Narcissa placed her finger under her little sisters' chin. "It's okay." She told her gently. "I have nine months to tell them." The two girls quietly laughed. They sat there in a comfortable silence for sometime.

"I better get going." Narcissa said sadly. "Promise me you'll write when you get there. Andi will take good care of you and Sirius. By the way, give Sirius my love." Nora nodded. "I will try to distract our parent's long enough for you two to get a safe distance away. You know they'll send people after you, right?" Nora, again, nodded her head. Narcissa looked at her, then bent down and untied something from under her dress. She placed in Nora's hand a small dagger and a holster made of leather to carry it in. Nora looked at her questioningly.

"Lucius gave this to me to protect myself. I want you to have it. Use it only when necessary." She warned her sister. "This is not a toy." Nora looked at her shocked but quickly recovered. She hugged her sister for the last time.

"I will, thank you,"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The wait for midnight seemed to take forever. Nora sat in her room listening as the noises downstairs died down. She was sitting beside her window, watching as the moon rose ever higher over the dark tree tops. When all was quiet in the house and the moon was high in the sky, Nora silently left her room, closing her bedroom door behind her. She did not hesitate as she walked out the front door. She went to the bush directly below her window to retrieve her bag. As she walked down the street, she looked back one more time at the house she had called home for the past thirteen years. She felt no longing, no pain of leaving it or the family inside behind. She turned around and continued to walk down the street.

Luckily, she met no one while walking. Before she knew it, she was standing outside of her cousin's house. All seemed quiet, which meant everyone was in bed. She hoped Sirius was still awake. She walked around the house to where his bedroom was, she could see a candle flickering faintly in the window. She gathered a handful of rocks and started launching them at his bedroom window, hoping that she wouldn't wake anyone else up. After she tossed the fourth stone, she saw Sirius' face appear. He gave her a questioning look.

"I couldn't take it anymore." She quietly yelled up at him. "We have to leave tonight." She saw him look at her like she lost her mind but then saw the happiness in his eyes. He disappeared back into his room and she settled herself on a flat rock out front. It was a few minutes later when he joined her out in the streets, his bag hanging loosely off of one shoulder.

"What made you change your mind?" He whispered to her.

"I'll tell you later." She grabbed his arm and they walked down the street.

They walked in silence, thankful that they didn't meet a soul. At the edge of the city, as they were getting ready to creep into the woods, they saw a figure slink out of a house. They stood there rooted to the spot in fear. Nora's mind was acting fast, she had a list of lies in her head to explain to a soldier why they were out so late. He hand was already reaching for the dagger strapped to her leg, the one Narcissa gave her when the figure stopped in front of them. Nora released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. The young girl in front of them looked at them and their bags questioningly.

"Nora? Sirius?" She asked shocked. "What are you guys doing out here so late? And why do you have bags?" He eyes were scanning their faces, hoping to read the answer there.

"Were leaving Cora." Nora told the young girl. Cornelia or Cora as she insisted everyone call her was a young, beautiful girl their age. She was Nora's only other friend. The two had met when Sirius was off at knighthood training. Cora had light brown hair and warm honey colored eyes. She looked between Nora and Sirius. Neither of the girls noticed the way Sirius stared at Cora.

"Leaving? Where?" She asked.

"Were going to stay with my sister Andromeda in Gryffindor." Cora stared at them, then looked back at the house behind her.

"I'm coming with you." She said determinedly. Nora was about to tell her no, that it would be to dangerous but stopped when she looked in her eyes. Cora was a very stubborn girl and Nora knew that once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her.

"Fine." Nora said, defeated. Sirius looked at her like she was out of her mind. "Hurry and pack. Meet us in the woods in five minutes. We really need to get going." Cora smiled and dashed into her house. Nora and Sirius started walking into the woods. They sat down on a fallen tree and waited for Cora to return.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sirius asked her. It was Nora's turn to look at him like he was crazy.

"Wasn't this all your idea?" She asked him incredulously.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Not this." He said, gesturing his hands around the woods surrounding them. "This." He said, pointing back at the house Cora disappeared into. Nora looked at Sirius. She could tell he was worried at having to protect another person. She smiled at him and his good, brave heart.

"Well be fine." She told him seriously. "You don't know Cora like I do. If we had to bring someone along with us, she would be the person I pick." Sirius seemed a little more comforted. "She's as brave as they come." She added to make him feel better. They waited for a few more minutes, watching and listening to everything around them. In a clearing to her right, she could see a couple of mooncalves dancing, the moonlight reflecting off of them, turning them pale blue and pale yellow. She smiled at the sight. When Cora joined them, the first thing Nora noticed was the forest green Puffskein on her shoulder. Nora smiled, she knew how much Cora loved Mel, her Puffskein. The three of them silently started to walk towards their new and better lives.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**A/N: Ok so the next chapter will pick up where this one left off. I didn't intend to add Cornelia into this. It just kind of happened. I now know what other people talk about when they say their characters have a mind of their own. Lol. I'll try to update the first chapter with Cornelia included into it but it may not be for a while. Also, I'd hate to sound like a nagging author, but only one review? Come on. You guys can do better. I won't update the next chapter until I get five more reviews. That is not hard. So if you want me to update, leave me a review. Thanks and I hope you liked this. =)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ok, so this one picks up where the last left off, but only for a short time. I want to get the background of some other characters in so that everything can tie together nicely. So bear with me a little longer. I haven't updated in so long and I am sad to say that I haven't gotten any more reviews. Would it kill you to just drop one word? Honestly. So against my better judgment I am proceeding with another chapter. Hopefully I will get a review. =/**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

They walked all night and for most of the next day. They stopped just as the sun was beginning to set. They found a clearing and dumped their bags on the ground. Sirius rummaged in his until he pulled out a hunting knife. Without a word to the girls, he walked into the woods. Cora gave Nora a questioning look to which Nora responded with a shrug. They spent the remainder of the day collecting small logs and twigs for a fire. Sirius returned with the last of daylight carrying three dead and skinned bunnies. Nora made a face but helped the other two cook their meals. They ate in silence, listening to the natural sounds of the woods surrounding them. When they finished eating, they sat around the fire warming their toes and fingers from the chilly night.

"We should probably set up a guard for the night." Nora pointed out. "In case anyone decides to look for us." The other two nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'll take the first watch." Sirius said. "I'm not very tired." The two girls nodded and lay down on the cold ground. Within minutes they were fast asleep.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Sirius was carving a stick he found next to the fire into a spear when he heard one of the girls slashing around. He stuck his stick in the fire to create a torch. He held the burning log above Nora first, but she was lying there peacefully. He moved it over to Cora and saw a pained look on her face. She was thrashing around like she was trying to get away from someone. Sirius didn't know what to do so he just sat there watching her. Suddenly she let out a gasp and shot up into a sitting position. Her eyes frantically searched around for some unknown predator. Finally she rested them on Sirius. He could see the tears that were welled up in her eyes. Instinctively, he reached forward and enveloped her in a hug. He had done this countless times with Nora whenever she would have a bad dream.

In his warm and tight embrace, Cora felt safe. Suddenly she was crying freely. Sirius rubbed her back and told her quietly that everything would be alright. They stayed like that for a while. Sometime later, Cora calmed down. She pulled away from Sirius, who noticed the sudden cold surrounding him, and wiped her tears away. She let out a watery chuckle.

"I'm sorry for that. That's not like me." She said, looking at him.

"S'no problem." He told her. They sat there silently for a while, both of them watching the dying embers of the fire.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked her quietly.

She sighed. "It's really no big deal." She assured him. "It's just this reoccurring dream I have from time to time." She looked everywhere but at him. Silence followed. Finally she worked up enough courage to look at him. She saw him giving her a stare, one that said 'continue'. She took a deep breath.

"When I was 8 years old, my parents were murdered." She told him. Sirius looked up at her with sad eyes. All his life he was wishing his parents didn't exist and here was a girl who obviously wanted hers back more than anything in the world. For the first time in his life, Sirius felt guilty for his thoughts.

"It was really late, maybe almost midnight." She continued. "All I know is that it was still dark out. I was lying in my bed when suddenly I heard a crash from downstairs. I sat up in my bed and stared at the door. A few minutes later I heard my bedroom door open and my mother was walking in the room. She put her finger over her mouth, motioning for me to keep quiet. Before she shut the door, I saw my father walk down the stairs with a wooden stick in his hand. My mother told me that we were going to play a game of hide and seek. She flipped up the rug on my floor and pulled up the loose floorboard that was our secret hiding spot." The tears were once again flowing down her cheeks. Sirius reached his hand up and brushed them away. He then reached for her hand and squeezed it comfortingly.

"My mom put me there with my pygmy puff Mel. She told me to stay here and keep quiet no matter what. She kissed my forehead and replaced the floorboard. I heard her place the carpet back over top. Then she left the room. I sat there, listening to the muffled voices carrying up from under me. I could hear some men yelling and my father pleading. Then I heard a loud thump followed shortly after by another thump. At the time, I didn't know what it was. The house was quiet for a few minutes until I heard footsteps on the stairs. I thought it was my mother coming to get me. Then I heard the voices of the men who had been downstairs. I could hear them rummaging and banging and throwing things around. I was so scared. I guess they never found what they were looking for so they left. I waited there until morning. I could hear the voices of the soldiers in my house, but I didn't come out until I heard the voice of my brother." She let out a sniffle and Sirius took her into his arms.

"What happened then?" He asked her quietly, afraid of disturbing the peace around them.

"As I was taken out of the house I saw t-t-the blood everywhere. A-a-and my p-p-parents bodies lying on the floor." She stuttered the words out and Sirius just held onto her tighter.

"I had to go and live with my brother and his wife. I hated it there. My brother was okay but _she _hated me. So that's why I came with you and Nora. I love my brother, but I needed to get out of there as much as I need to get away from here." She said wistfully. They sat in front of the dying fire silently, just thinking. Cora rubbed the remainder of the tears from her face.

"Thanks for listening Sirius." She told him gently. She then leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. When she pulled back, Sirius could feel his cheek burning. He looked over at Cora who was trying, and failing, to conceal her blush.

"You better get some sleep." She told him. "I'll take the next watch."

Sirius looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure you're going to be okay." Cora nodded silently. One look at her face and Sirius could tell she meant it. With a whispered goodnight, he lay down next to his cousin and was asleep in moments.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

They continued their journey for days and days, only stopping for short rests during the day and to sleep at night. None of them knew the correct way to Gryffindor, all they knew was that it lied in the east. So Sirius, using the position of the sun, led their small group to what he hoped was east.

It was on one of these long walks that Nora spotted something strange. They had stopped along the Perpetual River to rest their tired legs. Sirius was washing the sweat off his face at the rivers bank and Cornelia had settled herself on a log next to him, soaking her weary feet. Nora was standing at the edge of the wood, staring off into space.

"Don't you think it's strange," She told them, continuing to stare at the woods, "That no one has been trying to find us?" She looked briefly at the other two who were just staring at her, at a loss for words.

Nora turned back to the woods. "Well maybe they are trying to find us, but don't you think it's strange that we haven't _seen _anyone?" She shivered as she felt a chill run through her body. She heard splashing from the river bed and turned to see the other two rushing out of it. Curiously, she locked eyes with Cora who was hurriedly putting her socks and shoes back on. She could see an intense look in the other girls' eyes.

Sirius rushed to his bag and pulled out the sword he had been given during his knighthood training. He securely strapped it to his waist and hoisted his bag onto his shoulder. Cora was right behind him, she reached down for her bag and secured it onto her shoulder.

"We should keep moving." Sirius told them quietly.

"What's wrong?" Nora asked him as they continued walking. Cora was walking next to Sirius, constantly scanning the forest around them.

"I didn't think about it until you mentioned it." Sirius began. "But maybe there's a reason we haven't seen anyone yet." Nora stared at him, not quite understanding.

"I think they might be following us." Sirius told her. "To see where we are going." Nora nodded her head knowingly. She reached for the knife that Narcissa had given her, checking that it was still there. When she felt the cool leather on her fingers, she let out a breath and ran to catch up with the other two.

"Maybe we should change direction for a while." Cora suggested. "To throw whoever might be following us off." Sirius nodded curtly, his eyes continuously scanning the forest around them.

They had been walking for a few hours with the sun slowly setting when they heard the first crunch of leaves. All three teenagers froze on the spot. Sirius' right hand was on the hilt of his sword, the other was in front of Cora's chest, stopping her from walking any further. Nora reached for her dagger, ready to pull it out and use it at a moments notice. They stood there frozen for a few minutes. They heard no more noises and decided to continue. Sirius' right hand remained on the hilt of his sword and Nora's hand remained at her side, ready to grab her knife. Cora led the group, once again changing their direction. They decided to walk through the night, thinking it not safe to rest. As the sun was rising over the treetops they reached another clearing, Cora was practically being carried by Sirius.

"I'm so tired." Cora said, leaning her head on Sirius' shoulder. Nora looked at the two curiously. They seemed to have grown closer during their time in the woods. Nora felt she was missing something. As they were sitting there, they saw two figures emerge from the woods in front of them. Cora, suddenly alert, stood up next to Sirius. Sensing danger, he positioned himself in front of the two girls to block them from harm. The two figures, dressed in the Slytherin kingdom's colors of silver and green stood face to face with Sirius. Both had their swords in their hands.

"Hello Sirius, Nora." The taller of the two said, his white blond hair shining with the morning sun. "Your families are worried sick." He told them with a sneer on his face.

"Lucius." Nora said stiffly.

"Why don't we make this easy and you come with us quietly." He said

"Fat chance." Nora told him through her teeth, shooting her best glare at her brother-in-law. Lucius chuckled deeply.

"We don't want to get rough with you." Lucius told them, gesturing to himself and the man standing behind him. For the first time Nora got a good look at him. He was a boy of about their age with a long, hooked nose and greasy black hair that rested at his shoulders. Sirius talked about this boy a lot. He was in his class for knighthood training and was always getting into fights with Sirius. Nora heard Sirius snicker.

"So this is who our noble king sends to round up a bunch of riffraff?" He tightened his grip on his sword as Lucius turned his glare toward him.

"What? Our lord couldn't find a more important task for his star knight to face? Either action is hard to come by in your kingdom or your dear lord does not see you and Snivellus fit for duty." Sirius told them with a sneer. Severus, with a glare of pure hatred at Sirius, stepped forward for a fight. Sirius, anticipating this, gripped his sword tighter, bracing himself. Lucius put a hand on Severus' shoulder. Nora saw the boy visibly calm.

"Your brother warned us against your, ah, sense of humor. You leave us no choice." Lucius brought his fingers to his lip and let a loud whistle ring through the air. All was silent in their small clearing for a while. Cora let out a small whimper at the same moment Nora saw ten more men enter the clearing from the forest in front of them. Nora, sensing a fight, quickly grabbed the knife strapped to her leg and held it in her hand, ready for the fight.

All was silent for a few minutes. Then suddenly, yells filled the air as the men in silver and green rushed forward at the three teenagers. Sirius yelled for Nora and Cora to run as he rushed forward and met his first opponent. Cora, defenseless, ran for the forest to their right. Nora watched her disappear into the trees. She then turned her attention back to her cousin and saw him fighting a new opponent, the first dead at his feet. She locked eyes with Lucius who was standing back with his squire, watching the fight. She turned around just in time to see a man running at her with his sword raised. She ducked and felt the wind from his swing on the back of her neck. She came up and thrust her knife into the mans abdomen. She watched as he slid to the ground where he lay motionless. She didn't have time to let the shock soak in before another man was running at her. After sliding her knife over the unsuspecting mans throat, she looked up at her cousin who was struggling against two men. She ran over to help him, burying her knife into the back of the man closest to her. Sirius quickly finished the other man off. This gave Nora time to count the men down, six. She saw the other four men plus Lucius and Severus charging at them. She saw Sirius step in front of her, his sword held tightly in his hands.

"Run!" He yelled back at her. "Catch up with Cora! I'll buy us some time and then meet up with you guys soon." He shoved her towards the forest and rushed at the oncoming men. Nora ran for the tree line. Once she was covered in the shadows, she looked back one last time at Sirius. She heard the clash of metal and saw Sirius take down someone. At this distance, she couldn't see who. As she was watching the fight, she didn't see the person sneaking up on her. Before she could do anything to react, strong arms tightly secured themselves around her and she couldn't move.

"Time to go home, pet." The man told her. Nora gagged as his breath reached her nostrils, he smelled heavily of spirits. Gritting her teeth, she slammed her heel down onto her captives' foot. With a howl, he let go of her and grabbed his injured toes. Nora tumbled to the ground. Before the man could react, she grabbed her dagger and, just as she had against her first opponent, thrust her knife into his stomach. He crumpled to the ground in a motionless heap. Nora, still gripping her knife, ran even further into the woods. She darted in and out of trees, constantly changing her direction, as Cora had suggested, trying to lose anyone else who might be following her.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Nora ran, it seemed, for days. She finally stopped, out of breath and leaned her weary body against one of the many trees surrounding her. She was hoping to have found Cora by now, but for hours she had seen no one. Not Cora, not Sirius, not even one of the men that had been following them. She slid along the trunk of the tree and looked up into the sky. She could see thousands of stars dancing and twinkling in the night sky. She wished she knew where she was. Sirius had always been better than her with following the positions of the stars and the sun to determine where they were. Nora sighed and rested her head against the tree. She closed her eyes, and fell into a restless sleep.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Man after man was falling at Sirius' feet. He could see the worried look on Lucius' face. When the last man fell and it was only the three of them left, Sirius turned as quickly as he could and ran for the trees. He could hear the pounding footsteps behind him, but he did not turn around to see where they were. After a few minutes of running, he chanced a glance behind him. He slowed down to a stop when he noticed that Lucius and Snivellus were gone. He placed his hand on the nearest tree and bent down to regain his breath. As he was standing there, he heard the crunch of broken leaves and twigs underfoot. Reacting instantly, he grabbed his sword and swung it in the direction of his enemy. His sword stopped just before it connected with the throat of the person standing in front of him. He cursed and dropped his sword when he saw the white face of Cornelia. They stared at each other for a few minutes then simultaneously dropped to the forest floor in exhaustion.

"Where's Nora?" Sirius asked her after a few minutes.

"Last I saw she was fighting those men with you."

"I told her to run and find you." Sirius said. He placed his face in his hands. He had lost his cousin. He would never forgive himself if she got hurt. Sirius looked up at the night sky and the stars dancing across it. He hoped that his cousin would find her way to them or meet them in Gryffindor.

"Let's keep moving." Sirius told Cora, helping her stand. "Maybe we'll meet up with Nora." He started walking, his eyes constantly looking around, hoping to see a flash of the silver white of his cousins' hair. Cora had to run to keep up with him. When they stopped a few hours later for a rest, Cora sat down next to Sirius.

"She knows where to go Sirius." She told him quietly. "Don't worry, we'll see her again." Sirius smiled up at her and thanked her for the comforting words. They stared into each others eyes, not focusing on anything else. Finally Cora broke their contact. She ducked her head down and tried to conceal her blush. Sirius smiled and once again stood up.

"If we keep moving, we should reach the first town by nightfall and the main town by tomorrow afternoon." Cora nodded silently and followed Sirius once more towards their new home.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

As day broke on her fifth day alone, Nora caught the first glimpse of a large tower. Smiling to herself, she picked up the pace, hoping to reach Gryffindor and her sister Andi's house soon. She sincerely hoped Sirius and Cora had made it there okay. She reached the gates leading into the city surrounding the palace well after the sun had set. She quickly noted all the differences from her old kingdom and how much brighter and happier this place seemed even though it was the middle of the night. She walked through the quiet streets, she didn't know where to go and wasn't sure which house was Andi's. As she rounded the nearest corner, she came face-to-face with a soldier. Acting on instinct, she pulled out her knife to protect herself.

"Whoa there." The man said, holding his hands in front of his face to show he wasn't armed. Slowly Nora put her knife away. The man looked at her blood stained clothes and weary face.

"I'm looking for my sister, Andromeda. She works here as a seamstress." She told the man, she noticed he was older, about her fathers' age. The man looked at her questioningly.

"I've been a soldier here for twenty years and know everyone in this town, but I don't know any Andromeda." He told her. Nora could feel the panic rising in her chest. Had her sister moved and not told anyone? Had something bad happened to her or her family? So many questions were running through her mind and she didn't know how to process them all. Before she could stop herself, hot tears were rolling down her face.

"Hey now, sweetheart." The man rushed forward and took Nora into his arms comfortingly. "It's okay. Everything will be okay. We'll find your sister." He stroked her hair gently as Nora sobbed into his shirt. They stood in the street like that for a while. Slowly, Nora's sobs subsided.

"Feel better now?" The man asked her. Nora chuckled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"A bit." She told him. The man smiled at her. He looked her up and down.

"You look like you've been through hell." He told her frankly. "Pardon my language miss." He added. Nora chuckled. He seemed like a sweet man.

"It's fine sir. And something like that."

The man looked up and down the street. "You look like you could use a hot cup of tea." He told her. "I have an extra room if you need somewhere to stay until you find your sister."

Nora smiled up at him. "Thank you, um?"

The old man chuckled. "Where have my manners gone. I am Sir Dominick."

Nora smiled at him. "I'm Onora, but my friends call me Nora."

"Well hello Nora. Now how about some tea and biscuits?" Nora smiled at him.

"That would be lovely."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The walk to Sir Dominick's house was not long. Once they got there, Sir Dominick set up a hot bath for Nora. When she was done, he led her to an extra room that looked as if it had once belonged to a little girl. He gave her some warm, dry clothes and took her back into the kitchen where he gave her some hot tea and biscuits. Before long, Nora was telling him her entire story. Sir Dominick was a great listener, he didn't interrupt and when she finished he pulled her into a tight hug.

"You poor dear." He told her gently.

"That's why I have to find my sister." She told him. "I have to make sure my cousin and friend are okay." The tears were once again welling in her eyes. Sir Dominick sighed heavily. Nora looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, sipping on her tea.

"My dear, I don't think you're going to find your cousin or your friend here. Nor your sister for that matter." Nora looked at him questioningly, placing her mug on the kitchen table. Sir Dominick placed his hand on her shoulder.

"This," He said, motioning around the room, "is the kingdom of Ravenclaw."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**A/N: Okay. So I thought that was an interesting place to stop. =P**

**Please! I am on my knees begging for some feedback. Please just leave me a review. I will try to post the next chapter soon, but I am only on break for the next couple days and I have tons of homework to do. But I will definitely start updating more once Winter Break starts up in three weeks. But in the meantime, tell me what you think. =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I knoooooow! It's been forever! I am soooo sorry for anyone who is reading this. I just hit a really bad writers block and got distracted and plenty of other things I'm sure you don't care to hear about. Buttttt . . . for your patience . . . I have written a really long chapter! So long in fact that it had to be split into two. So here I present the first part of this epically long (just shy of 20 pages aka over 8,000 words) chapter . . . . . . Enjoy! And please do review! =)**

* * *

Rain lashed loudly against the walls of the large castle. Through a window in the topmost tower, the face of a young girl no older than thirteen could be seen staring gloomily at the dark skies. She turned her gaze to the muddy ground below her and sighed. There would be no playing outside today. Her parents would kill her if she got dirty before their dinner with the ambassador from Gryffindor.

After a few more minutes of brooding silence, Princess Lily dragged herself away from the window to explore, for the hundredth time, the many nooks and crannies of the castle. She walked down six flights of stairs to the main floor, all the time her emerald dress flowing gracefully behind her.

"Good afternoon miss," said one of the servants, bowing low. Lily nodded her head to the older man and continued on her way.

Two flights of steps later, Lily found herself standing in the doorway to the vast kitchens. Servants and cooks were rushing around trying to prepare that nights meal. Lily sighed and dropped unceremoniously onto one of the many stools on the farthest wall. The head cook, an older woman named Vevina, noticed the gloomy looking girl and walked towards her with a chocolate cake in hand.

"Good afternoon princess," she said while placing herself in the seat across from Lily, cake still in hand. "Why so sad?"

"It's raining," Lily said sadly laying her head in her folded arms. Vevina chuckled lightly.

"I have never known that to stop you," she said with a large smile. She placed the cake on the table in front of Lily, causing the younger girl to look up.

"Mum and Dad have an ambassador from Gryffindor coming tonight and don't want me outside playing," she said, wrinkling her nose. Vevina chuckled and pushed the cake closer.

"Well it's a good thing you're here," she told the young girl. "I want to serve this tonight but I'm not sure if it tastes good. The others are too busy setting up and I have no idea where my daughter may be. Would you do me the honors?" Lily's eyes sparkled happily.

"Mum and Dad won't be too happy that I had sweets before dinner," she said mischievously.

"I won't tell if you won't," Vevina said with a wink. Lily smiled and happily dug into the cake.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Lily stayed in the kitchen for another half an hour talking with Vevina. Stomach full and slightly happier, Lily left to continue her mission to explore the castle before dinner. Vevina walked her to the door, giving her a hug before she left.

"And don't fret," she called to Lily as she walked down the narrow hallway, "If the servants' talk is correct, this ambassador has a daughter about your age. I'm sure you will have fun." Lily nodded her head and waved to the older woman.

Lily continued her adventure, not really paying attention to where she was going. When she looked up, she was standing outside the large library. Smiling, Lily quietly entered. Just as she suspected, she spotted a figure reading a book twice her size at the other end. As quietly as she could, Lily crept toward the figure. She snuck up behind the person and jumped out yelling 'boo!' The figure squealed and the book went flying from her hands.

'Lily!" the young girl yelled slightly angry but more happy. Lily snickered and bent down to pick up the large book.

"Wow Daisy," Lily said, struggling underneath the weight of the book, "this has to be the heaviest book in the entire kingdom!" Daisy smiled and took the book from her sisters' hands. She laid it carefully on the edge of the chair she was sitting in.

"It is not," she said with a smile. She looked her sister over and smiled mischievously. "So what brings you to this part of the castle? I never thought I'd see you in the library." Lily pouted and grabbed her sisters' hand, trying to lift her from the couch.

"I'm bored," she said. "It's raining and Mum and Dad won't let me play outside." Daisy chuckled at her sister, sometimes she acted like a real baby.

"Well play inside then," Daisy suggested logically.

"I tried, but it's no fun when there is no one to play with," she waggled her eyebrows, hoping her sister would pick up the hint. Daisy was quick and saw where her sister was going before she even got there. She rolled her eyes and picked up the large book once more. She leafed through the pages and found her spot.

"Go find Miri then," she told her. Lily sighed.

"I was trying to, but I found you first. Come on Day! Let's play hide and seek!" Daisy chuckled without removing her eyes from her page.

"You know, sometimes I really question who is actually older," Lily stuck her tongue out and grabbed her sisters' hand once more.

"Please Day," she said giving her sister her famous puppy dog eyes. Daisy sighed, no one could resist when Lily gave that look.

"Fine," she said. "But I get to hide!" Lily smiled and hugged her little sister. Together they left the library and walked into one of the many hallways. Lily walked to the wall across from her and covered her eyes with her hands. Once she began counting, Daisy tore off down the hallway in search of a hiding place.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Lily opened and closed the door in front of her. She placed her hands on her hips wondering where her sister could be. She had checked all of the upper floors and had seen no sign of her. While contemplating her sisters' hiding spot, she didn't notice the figure walk up behind her. She felt a tap on her shoulder and jumped into the air. When she turned around, she was met with the sparkling green-blue eyes of her best friend, Miriam. Lily clutched her heart and tried to even her breathing. Miri chuckled at her friend.

"Sorry," she said.

"It's okay. Where have you been?" she asked. "I've been looking for you for ages. I went down to the kitchens but your mom said she hadn't seen you either." Miri smiled apologetically.

"I had to run into town, your mother wanted me to pick up some fabrics for your dress for the ball next weekend." Lily scrunched her nose up in dislike.

"Oh Lily," Miri scolded, "No fussing now. It's your sisters' birthday and you have to be there."

"Please, if you had known Petunia you would have disliked her too," Together Lily and Miri started walking down the hallway, occasionally, Lily would peer inside a room for her younger sister. "She's a nightmare, honestly."

They continued their search for the better part of an hour before they finally found Daisy hiding in the throne room. Just as they were leaving, a loud horn sounded from the doors before them. Lily and Daisy exchanged looks with each other and before they knew it, the entrance hall was swarming with people. Servants ducked in and out of doors, adding this and removing that. Cleaning little things and making sure the room really shined. The three girls stood off to the side, letting the men and women work. Before long, they were joined by their parents, King Mortimer and Queen Rose. Lily and Daisy came to stand next to their parents, Lily quickly fixing her messy hair as Daisy straightened out the creases from her powder blue gown. Miri stepped away from the royal family, standing in the shadows just behind Lily. She brushed the small specks of brush and mud from her plain cotton dress and folded her hands politely.

The doors opened, revealing a group of people dressed expertly in red and gold, in the center of the group stood an older man in his thirties and a young girl no older than Lily. The man walked forward and bowed to each of the monarchs, his daughter following his lead. Lily noticed that the girl had golden blonde hair that looked to be about shoulder length, but was currently tied up from their ride. She had rosy cheeks and kind, playful brown eyes. Lily and Daisy both smiled encouragingly at the girl.

The man stood in front of the King and Queen smiling brightly, he held the hand of his daughter tightly as her eyes roamed over the entrance hall.

"Lord Nevan," King Mortimer said with a smile. "I trust your journey went well?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

"And who is this?" Queen Rose asked kindly, smiling down at the young girl. The girls' eyes snapped to the Queen and she bowed her head respectfully.

Lord Nevan chuckled, "This is my daughter, Alice," he said. Alice curtsied deeply to the King and Queen, both of whom smiled in return, clearly delighted with the young girl.

"These are our daughters, Lily and Daisy." Both Lily and Daisy bowed respectfully to the newcomers when their father said their names. "I'm sure they would be happy to show you around the castle, Alice," added their mother. Both girls smiled in return and nodded their heads.

"Good, good," said King Mortimer, clapping his hands together. "Lord Nevan, why don't you follow us into the throne room so we can talk?" The Lord bowed his head and was led into the throne room by some servants.

"Tiernan," Queen Rose called. A young man, in his early twenties stepped forward and bowed. "Please show these men to their rooms, and have Calida ready Lord Nevan and his daughter's rooms."

"Yes, My Queen," he said and shuffled quickly from the room, Lord Nevan's men just behind him. King Mortimer walked briskly into the throne room and sat down on his throne. The girls looked in and saw a chair had been produced for the Lord. They turned when someone cleared their voice behind them.

"Why don't you girls show Alice around," said the Queen. It wasn't a question but a command. Lily and Daisy nodded their heads and turned to walk away. "And Lily dear," their mother called. Lily turned around and met her mother's warm, amber eyes. "No listening in this time." she smiled at the twinkle in her mother's eyes. Queen Rose turned and followed the others into the throne room, the doors clicking shut behind her.

"I think she means it this time," said Miri as she appeared out of the shadows. Lily smiled at her best friend.

"Maybe," she said, she then turned to Alice and smiled. "Well, where would you like to see first?"

Alice shyly looked down at her feet, "Uh, anywhere, I guess. Where do your majesties want to start?" Daisy and Lily shared a look.

"Please, just call us by our names," said Daisy. "We hate this whole 'your majesty' business." Alice smiled and nodded her head.

"Why don't we start at the kitchens? I need to see my mother anyway," said Miri. Lily and Daisy agreed. Daisy grabbed Alice's arm and together the four girls headed down into the kitchen.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Are you a lady of the court, Miri?" Alice asked as they left the kitchen. Lily and Miri shared amused looks and laughed. Alice looked at them curiously.

"Do they do this all of the time? Burst out into random laughter," Alice asked Daisy. The young girl just smiled.

"More than you could ever guess," she responded. Once calmed, the two girls looked back at Alice.

"No, I am Lily's handmaid . . . " she began.

"And best friend!" Lily added to which Miri smiled.

"And best friend," she agreed. "My mother is a cook in the castle and as a little girl I often came with her and helped her. That is how I met Lily and Daisy. Lily and I quickly became friends and a few years later asked me to be her handmaid." Alice smiled at the two girls. "I of course didn't hesitate to say yes." she said, smiling brightly. Alice smiled too.

"So what is the kingdom of Gryffindor like?" Daisy asked curiously.

"I heard Gryffindor has the bravest knights of all. I bet they go on all kinds of marvelous adventures," Lily said, her eyes shinning with merriment and adventure. Alice chuckled.

"It's no different than here really," she explained. "King Harold and Queen Margaret seem really nice, though I've only met them a few times. They have a son, Prince James, but I've never met him. Supposedly he is training for Knighthood so he isn't around much."

"What of the landscape?" Daisy asked. Lily scoffed at her younger sister.

"Oh Day, no one cares what the land looks like. We want to hear about the adventures of the kingdom," Lily said indignantly. Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Well if you picked up a book every once in a while you would be able to _read_ about all of the _marvelous _adventures," said Daisy irritably. Alice and Miri watched the sisters argue, their heads moving from one to the other.

"Well actually, the landscape and," she coughed, "adventures that Lily speaks of are tied together. Since our Kingdom also borders with the Wandering Woods." Lily's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. She had heard many stories from travelers and her tutor about the Wandering Woods. It had been a dream of hers to visit it but her parents would never allow her.

"That must be wonderful," she said, eyes full of wonder. "Oh please tell me you have been into them!" Alice chuckled.

"Once," she said, "and only to the very edge. Father let me accompany him two years ago to gather some herbs that only grew there. My mother is a healer in our town and she needed them for some medicine."

"Did you see anything whilst you were there?" Lily asked curiously.

"No," Alice said sheepishly, "just the herbs and other rare plants. Most of the animals roam deeper in the woods." Lily nodded her head, speechless. For the remainder of the day, Lily, Daisy and Miri took Alice all through the castle, showing her all there was to see. By dinner time, the four had become great friends.

**0o0o0o 1 YEAR LATER o0o0o0o**

Onora walked briskly through the halls of Ravenclaw's castle. She had a bundle of sheets in her hands that she was taking outside to be washed. It had been a year since she mistakenly stumbled into the Kingdom of Ravenclaw and she couldn't be happier. Sir Dominick had cooked up some story to explain her sudden appearance. Something about a sister who had died of disease, sending her daughter and only child to live with him, her last remaining relative. The townsfolk seemed to buy it and Nora had been welcomed with open arms. Sir Dominick believed that, because of the war, Nora should not reveal her past to anyone in fear of them thinking her as a spy.

So Nora had agreed and they became a little family. It was only a few months ago that Sir Dominick had secured a job in the palace for her. Nora was happy to be able to share her wages with him, a way of her repaying him for his wonderful kindness.

When she walked outside, none of the other maids were there. Nora sat the pile of laundry down on the ground and turned around to admire her surroundings. Even after a year, she still couldn't believe the beauty that surrounded her. Vast woods to one side and mountains as far as the eye could see on the other. Nora remembered the first time she saw the mountains. Sir Dominick had to close her mouth for her when her jaw dropped. They were so big! Nora chuckled at the memory.

"What's so funny?" asked a voice from behind her. Nora turned around and found the stunning emerald eyes of Princess Lily staring at her. Nora immediately dropped into a bow and averted her eyes from the beautiful princess.

"I'm sorry milady if I have intruded." Lily rolled her eyes at the maid.

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked. Nora nodded her head, still looking to the ground. "What's your name?"

"Onora, miss"

"Onora? That's a curious name." remarked the princess. Nora smiled slightly.

"If it pleases you, you may call me Nora. Everyone else does."

"Well Nora, I really do hate being called milady or princess or ma'am or anything else like that, especially by people my age. It just doesn't sound right. How old are you anyway?"

"Fourteen, mil- oh, um, I mean . . . I'm fourteen." Nora mumbled, not sure how to address the young girl. She looked up and saw the princess smiling happily at her.

"Me too, well at least I just turned fourteen," she said. "Do you know any other kids around here?"

"No, in town it's just me and Si- um . . . Uncle Dominick," Nora smiled sheepishly at the princess.

"Well that's okay," she said matter-of-factly. "I have a few friends our age around here. My best friend is Miri, she's the daughter of our cook and so much fun. You would like her, everyone does." Nora smiled at the princesses chipper attitude. "Then she has a twin brother, Kiptyn, but he and our friend Will are off studying to be knights so we only see them during the summer months. Next time their around I'll introduce you." Nora thanked her for her kindness.

"It's no problem really, and please call me Lily, all of my other friends do." Nora couldn't help the smile that took over her face. She had never had any friends before aside from Sirius and Cora. Living in Ravenclaw seemed that much better now.

"Come on, we'll go get Miri and then we can all play," Lily grabbed Nora's wrist and began dragging her away. Nora glanced back at the pile of laundry and dug her heels into the dirt. She would get into a lot of trouble if she didn't do her job.

"The laundry . . ." Nora said, pointing to the pile. Lily's eyebrows scrunched up in concentration. Her face brightened when she saw Ida, one of the older castle maids.

"Ida!" Lily called out. The older woman raised her head and smiled when she saw Lily.

"Hello my Lily," she said as she approached the two girls.

"Ida, is it okay if Nora here has the rest of the day off? I'd like to show her around the castle better and introduce her to some new friends." Lily smiled pleadingly at her. Ida chuckled softly.

"Of course. And anytime you need her services in the future, feel free to call upon her," she said with a wink. The two girls giggled as they ran for the castle.

Inside they found Miri in the kitchen with her mother. Lily quickly introduced the two girls and was happy to see that they were instant friends. Even Vevina was taken with the new maid. The three girls spent the remainder of the day getting to know each other. Nora told them of her travels from a town on the edge of Hufflepuff to here when her mother died. The girls listened intently. Lily was practically on the edge of her seat as Nora described a few of the creatures she had come in contact with on her journey.

Later that night, after Nora and Miri had returned home with promises to see each other in the morning, Lily lay in bed retelling Nora's story to herself. Oh how she wished she could have an adventure of her own.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: And now part two . . . . Again, enjoy! And review! =)**

**

* * *

**

**0o0o0o 3 YEARS LATER o0o0o0o**

Lily stared longing out of her window on the fifth floor at the woods below. She sighed, thinking of her desire to explore those woods, the only part of the kingdom that was forbidden to her. She heard her bedroom door creep open behind her but didn't turn around, instead she continued to stare.

"Lils!" her best friend and handmaid, Miri screeched. "Why aren't you ready yet? Your parents are expecting you downstairs in five minutes." Miri rushed to the window and pulled on Lily's arm, dragging her towards the floor length mirror hanging on her wall. Lily let her, her mind far away and down below with the Wandering Woods. Miri rolled her eyes at her best friend and pulled out a beautiful yellow gown from her wardrobe.

"Put that on," she told her as she walked into Lily's bathroom to grab her brush. Halfway there she turned around to make sure Lily was slipping into the yellow dress. Moments later she was behind Lily, who was seated in a chair, with various pins sticking out of her mouth. She brushed through Lily's thick waves and gathered her hair into an elegant up-do. Miri smiled satisfactorily when she glanced at Lily.

"Beautiful," she whispered. Lily, snapping out of her trance, blushed at the comment. "Now get going," she said, ushering Lily out of the room, "before your parents murder you on your birthday."

"What about you?" Lily asked from the doorway, her hand resting on the wooden frame. Miri looked at her curiously. "Surely you're coming?" Miri bowed her head low.

"'Tis not my place to attend a royal ball, I am merely a handmaid."

Lily walked back into the room angrily, her hands on her hips.

"And you're my best friend."

"Yes, but . . ."

"And it is my birthday."

"But . . ."

"No more buts. You're coming." Miri looked into Lily's emerald eyes, the eyes of her grandmother, and saw nothing but determination. The redheads' stubborn attitude was well known among the kingdom and Miri knew she had no choice but to listen.

With a satisfied nod, Lily walked up to her wardrobe and swung the doors open dramatically. Miri laughed at her best friends' antics. Lily rifled through her clothes until, with a gasp, she emerged holding a sea foam green dress, one that almost matched Miri's eyes perfectly. Tears sprung to Miri's eyes when she saw the dress and she rushed over to hug her best friend. Within minutes, Miri was dressed and ready to go. The two girls rushed down the stairs towards the main staircase where they would enter for the ball.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Nora tugged nervously at the dress Sir Dominick had made for her. For the past four years she had been living with him in his home in town. In those short four years, he had been more of a father towards her than her own father had ever been. She loved him for the warmth, safety and love he gave her and knew that he loved her as if she were his own daughter. She smiled nervously as a group of people walked past her, bowing their heads. She may be a maid in the castle, but thanks to Sir Dominick, she had a Lady status among the townsfolk. But that didn't matter tonight. The whole town had been invited to the ball to celebrate Princess Lily's 17th birthday. Nora smiled thinking of her friend. She couldn't believe how nice Lily and her family had been towards her. But Lily had even gone a step further and invited Nora to be her friend. To say that she was happy wouldn't even cover how she felt. After being separated from Sirius and Cora, a black hole seemed to form where her heart once was. She seemed lost, unable to break free and live. Sir Dominick had filled most of that emptiness when he took her in and showed her love. Princess Lily had filled in a great deal more when she became good friends with her. The only way for it to be completely filled was to see Sirius again. She missed him and his wise cracks, his jokes and his heart. She missed Cora too, her only friend when Sirius had been forced to leave. She could only hope that they had made it to Gryffindor and to her sister, Andromeda, safely. She had tried sending them multiple letters, but after the sixth one had been returned, she gave up hope of contacting them. But deep down inside, Nora knew she would see her cousin and friend soon.

"Chin up darling, your looking nervous," said a cheerful voice on her left. Nora smiled as she looked into the shinning brown eyes of her 'father'.

"I've never been to one of these before," she said, eyeing all of the people gathered. Sir Dominick stared at her in shock.

"Never been to a ball?" he asked astonishment. Nora shook her head sadly. "But surely you've had balls in your kingdom."

"We did, but I was always too young to go. Mother and Father always left us with Narcissa, my sister. Oh did she hate it," Nora said with a smile recalling how upset her sister used to get at not going to the balls. "But after a few years, the King stopped throwing them. There was nothing left to celebrate, according to him." Sir Dominick nodded his head, understandingly.

"Well enjoy yourself tonight, balls here are always fun," he winked at her, his eyes shinning brightly. Nora smiled at him and gave him a quick hug.

Murmuring and whispering was now spreading around the dance floor. Nora and Sir Dominick turned their eyes to the grand staircase before them. Standing at the top were the King and Queen, both dressed in colors of deep blue and silver, the colors of Ravenclaw. Next to come down the stairs was Lily's older sister, Petunia. Dressed in a flowing gown of pink, she was escorted by her husband, a whale of a man named Lord Vernon. Petunia and Vernon lived on the outskirts of Ravenclaw, as she remembered Lily telling her. Lily and her sister, Daisy, had a falling out with the eldest princess six years ago and after that, Petunia married Vernon and left right away for his mansion. Looking at her now, Nora could tell that she was very happy with her new life.

After Petunia, Daisy stepped forward. Her vibrant red hair, the exact same as their father, was pulled into an elegant bun that rested on the nape of her neck. She was wearing a beautiful gown of olive green. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkling happily as she walked gracefully down the stairs. Nora couldn't help but snicker at the many heads that were turning in the princess' direction. She glanced over to where Sir William and Sir Kiptyn were standing. Will was smiling happily at the girl he admired as a sister, but Kip wasn't paying attention. Nora sighed as she thought how thick some boys could be.

Last to come down was Lily herself. Nora smiled when she saw that the young princess wasn't alone. Linked to her by the arm was a nervous looking Miri. The young maid was glancing around worried about the stares she was receiving. Nora knew what her friend was thinking, that everyone would be whispering at how a maid, dressed as a noble, was tending the ball. But she couldn't be more wrong. If only Miri could hear the whispers, Nora thought to herself, because all she could hear was how beautiful Lily's friend looked. Nora heard the sound of someone chocking on something behind her and glanced back to see Kiptyn banging on Will's back. The latter was staring intently at Miri as she gracefully glided down the remaining stairs. Nora chuckled knowingly. It wasn't hard to figure out in the short time she had known her friends, how much Will was in love with Miri. There were times when Nora was sure Miri returned those feelings, but she was often such a closed book, it was difficult to tell. What wasn't difficult to tell was how much Daisy had a crush on Kiptyn, Miri's twin brother. But unfortunately the boy was too daft to see it. Slowly, everyone around Nora began to move about, some to the dance floor, others towards the drinks. Miri noticed that Sir Dominick was no longer next to her. He was with a few of the other Lords, talking about business Nora had no interest in. Nora looked around and found Lily and Miri surrounded by a group of ladies. She smiled and walked over to them.

"Princess Lily, you look absolutely breathtaking,"

"You must tell me who made that dress,"

"Miss Miri looks beautiful too,"

She heard the ladies gushing to the two young girls. She had to hide her smile behind her hand at the plastered smile on the girls' faces. Nora often had to deal with the ladies of the court and found most of them to be very fake. She couldn't stand them and knew Lily and Miri felt the same way. Lily caught Nora's eye and quickly excused herself and Miri.

"And my parents wonder why I hate attending these things," Lily said with a sarcastic smile, one which Nora returned. "You look beautiful, by the way," she told Nora. She smiled disbelievingly at Lily's comment. How could anyone think she was pretty when she was standing in the company of Lily, the most beautiful girl she had ever seen? Nora gripped the fabric of her flowing silver gown and muttered a quiet thank you to Lily.

"Where are the boys?" Miri asked. Nora pointed over her shoulder to where Will and Kiptyn were standing by the snack table. Miri rolled her eyes and muttered, "Figures". Lily and Nora laughed and together the three girls walked to the boys.

When Will and Kiptyn saw the girls approaching they shared a mischievous smile and stood ram-rod straight with their hands on their foreheads in a salute. When Lily saw them, she rolled her eyes and hit them both lightly on the head.

"You two are so maddening sometimes," she told them with a playful smile.

"As always, milady," Will said, bowing deeply and kissing her hand in a gentlemanly fashion. When he stood up, he looked at Miri. Nora could have sworn she saw a slight blush on the boys' cheeks, but at second blink, it was gone. He bowed deeply, much like he did with Lily, and kissed her hand. Miri smiled brilliantly at him.

"Lily, I do believe you forgot to introduce us to your beautiful friend," Kiptyn said with a smile, glancing at his sister, his green-blue eyes twinkled mischievously. Miri rolled her eyes and hit her brother over the head.

"Ow!" he yelled indignantly, rubbing the spot she hit. The others burst out into laughter. "What did you do that for? I was complimenting you!"

"Because you're an idiot," she said with a smile. Kiptyn continued to rub his head, looking at his sister in disbelief. The music started up and people all around them began to pair off and dance.

"Would you grace me with this dance, fair maiden?" Will said, inclining his head in Miri's direction. "I feel I must make up for my dim-witted friend here," he pointed a thumb in Kiptyn's direction. Kip looked up, glaring at Will. He was still rubbing his sore head. Miri giggled and placed her hand into Will's.

"It would be an honor, kind sir," she said. The three of them watched the couple walk onto the dance floor.

"I have five knuts that he'll ask her out tonight," Kiptyn said, pulling the coins in question out of his pocket. Nora eyed him skeptically.

"Are you serious?" she asked with disbelief, giving him a hard look. Kiptyn looked embarrassed and started to put the coins away. "Seven sickles says he holds off for another two months," she said, pulling the coins from the satchel tied to her wrist. Kiptyn smiled gleefully.

"You two are so bad," Lily said, shaking her head. "I'll put a galleon on four months from now." She smiled wickedly. The three of them laughed together.

"Excuse me, Princess," said a sweet voice from behind them. They turned to see a tall young man dressed in black with sparkling amethyst eyes peering at Lily. "Can I have this dance?" he asked. Lily smiled politely and placed her white gloved hand into his outstretched one. Nora watched him lead her onto the dance floor, as he led her away a chill ran through her body.

"You okay Nora?" Kiptyn asked, staring at her worriedly.

"I'm fine," she reassured him with a smile. He shrugged his shoulders and walked towards Daisy. Nora continued to stare at the strange man that was dancing with Lily.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

As the hour approached midnight, the people gathered started to close in on the dance floor. When the time struck twelve, they would all raise their glasses in a toast to Lily's good health and a happy 17th birthday. Nora stood quietly at Sir Dominick's side. She had been rather quiet the entire night after her meeting with the strange man. She watched him carefully when his and Lily's dance ended, and her eyes scanned the entire hall periodically to see where he was. For some reason, she just didn't trust this man. Lily had easily brushed away her concerns, telling her that he had been nothing but a gentleman during their dance and aroused no suspicion with anyone else. But there was something in Nora's gut telling her to keep an eye on this man. She spotted him across the dance floor, standing at the far wall with a glass of butterbeer in his hand. His amethyst eyes were locked on the spot that Lily was standing.

"Do you recognize that man?" she whispered to Sir Dominick, casually tilting her head in the man's direction. Sir Dominick followed her gaze with his warm brown eyes.

"Not that I can recall," he whispered back. "Why darling?"

"He just gives me a weird feeling," she told him as another chill ran through her body. "He keeps staring at Lily and it is beginning to worry me." Sir Dominick smiled kindly at her. She could see merriment dancing in his eyes.

"It's just lovely how protective you are of your friends, but unfortunately men are always staring at Princess Lily. She has grown up to be quite the beauty. I wouldn't worry," he told her gently. Nora nodded her head, but she refused to worrying. There was just something wrong.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Happy Birthday!" the entire hall chanted as the clock struck twelve. Outside, the bells in town could be heard ringing with celebration. Nora walked over to her friend and hugged her tightly, wishing her a happy birthday. Lily smiled brilliantly back at her. As everyone was leaning around and talking, Nora noticed a curious expression pass across the King and Queen. She stared at them curiously, one minute they had been smiling and laughing joyously with the others, then quickly their faces changed and they looked confused but right away they were back to smiling and laughing again. Nora thought this to be curious and she was sure no one else had noticed. She glanced around the vast hall but everyone was too busy talking. She turned back to Lily who was engrossed in a conversation with Miri and Will, Kiptyn was just behind them talking with Daisy.

"Yes, Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter," King Mortimer called out to the hall. At once everyone became silent, listening to the customary speech that was given on every birthday.

"This really is a time to celebrate," he continued. He looked around the hall, making eye contact with as many people as possible. In the blink of an eye, Nora noticed that the strange man had moved away from the shadows and was now standing just next to the King. Another shiver ran down Nora's spine, something wasn't right.

"I am happy to announce now that my daughter, Lily," he said pointing to her. Lily looked around confused. As far as she knew, there was no announcement to make. Her father should just be wishing her a happy birthday and reminiscing about when she was little.

"My daughter is to be married by the end of the month." Shocked whispers ran through the crowd. An engagement? Usually there were town rumors before anything was announced but everyone had been completely caught off guard. Nora turned to look at Lily. To say she was shocked would not have covered it. Miri was gripping onto Lily's hand, her jaw hanging open from the announcement. Lily looked just the same, only Nora could see tears sparkling in her emerald eyes. Will stepped up to Lily's other side and wrapped his arms protectively around her shoulders. Daisy had her hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide as dinner plates. Kiptyn, being the brilliant man he is, stood there opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

Nora looked again at the King and Queen. They seemed unfazed over the crowd and their family's reactions. They stood in front of everyone smiling like they had just delivered the best news possible.

"Yes, yes. Congratulations my daughter," he said. He looked at Lily and left the hall, the Queen at his side. Lily stared at their retreating backs for a moment before following them from the hall. Daisy, Miri, Nora, Will and Kiptyn not far behind her.

Sir Dominick cleared his voice awkwardly. He watched Nora run from the hall with her friends behind Princess Lily, worry and pain in his eyes. This had all been so sudden. He looked around at the others gathered, they seemed confused and unsure of what to do. He cleared his voice once more.

"Yes well, that was surprising," he said with a smile. He gained some awkward laughs. "Since it is rather late, I think we shall call this a night." Everyone gathered nodded their heads and a murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. Slowly, the vast hall began to empty. Sir Dominick stayed to make sure everyone had left before he followed his daughter and her friends through the doors. He walked quickly through the empty hallways towards the throne room where he guessed everyone would be.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

King Mortimer pushed open the heavy doors of the throne room. He walked briskly to his seat and sat himself down. Queen Rose followed his suit. There were a few quiet moments before the throne room doors opened once more, though this time with a loud bang. In walked Lily, her face red with anger. Dried tear stains could be seen running down her cheeks. Not very far behind her were her sister and her friends.

"What was that all about?!" she yelled at them. Not only was Princess Lily's stubborn attitude well known throughout the land, but also was her fiery temper. And Merlin help anyone who was on the receiving end of that temper.

"Lily!" Daisy hissed at her. Lily ignored her little sister, instead she continued to glare daggers at her parents.

"By the end of the month!" she screeched at them. Nora thought it curious that they were just sitting there, not caring how Lily spoke to them and more importantly, not caring how she felt.

"Yes, dear," her mother said in a calm voice.

"When am I leaving?" Lily asked, more quietly this time. She knew that if her parents arranged for her to be married, there was nothing she could do about it. She was just hurt that they never mentioned anything before and that she never had time to prepare and to say goodbye.

"First thing in the morning," he father said with the same calm voice. Tears sprung to Lily's eyes but she refused to let them fall, she would be strong for her family. She took a couple of deep breaths before she asked the next question.

"Am I to know whom I am marrying?" She asked, her voice heavy with her unshed tears.

"King Voldemort of Slytherin," he father said. Lily couldn't believe her ears, she crumpled to the floor and let her tears fall. She felt arms wrap around her body and looked up into the green-blue eyes of Miri. She returned her best friends hug as sobs wracked through her body.

"Why?" she heard Daisy ask quietly. Will moved to embrace her knowing she would need support after hearing she was losing her sister.

"To uphold the stability of our Kingdom," the Queen responded.

"Lord Ahti will escort you there in the morning," the King added. It was the first time that any of them realized someone else had slipped into the throne room. Nora gasped when she recognized the man with amethyst eyes. The same cold feeling rippled down her spine once more. She was right to think there was something wrong with this man. Lord Ahti approached Lily and bowed respectfully to her. Lily dropped her head in submission. She felt helpless and alone although she was surrounded by her friends and family. No one could help her now.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Later that night, when most were tucked warmly into their beds, five teenagers sat outside underneath the moonlight. Lily had needed a quiet place to think so she had wandered outside to her family's flower garden. The garden had been started by her great-grandmother and was still kept alive today. Lily settled herself among the flowers and began to cry. She didn't understand how her parents could do this to her. All of her life, she had heard nothing but bad news about Slytherin's King. She had overheard her own parents talking about what a monster he was during one of their council meetings. But why would they send her to him? It was times like this, when she was at her saddest, that she missed her old mentor and teacher, Dumbledore. But once Daisy had turned fifteen, it was time to put away the books and learn the proper etiquette for being a Lady. Dumbledore had smiled and wiped away her tears when she and Daisy had been given the news. He knew this day was coming and that he would no longer be their teacher. She remembered the way his eyes sparkled behind his half-moon spectacles as he told her of the big plans he had for himself. He said it was time to check on some old friends before he began his studies on the various creatures hidden in the Wandering Woods.

Lily sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. She felt the warm tears still falling down her face and wondered if they would ever stop. She was startled by a sudden rustling sound but relaxed as she saw her friends emerge from behind the flowers. She could see the tear stains on Miri's face and the blank look on Will's. The two of them had been through so much with her and she was going to miss them terribly. Kiptyn looked sad, his eyes downcast. She smiled a watery smile knowing he had no idea what to say or do. She would miss him to. Then she looked into the knowing eyes of her newest friend. Nora had only known them a short time, but it seemed like they had been friends forever. Each of them quietly sat down around her. They sat in silence, just basking in each others presence.

"So what are we going to do?" Nora asked, looking at each one of them in turn. No one said anything. She looked at Lily and saw the sadness in her eyes.

"There's nothing we can do," Lily responded her voice almost hoarse from lack of use and from the tears. Miri's eyes welled with more tears and Will unconsciously reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. They were silent again.

"Run away," Nora whispered into the gathered quiet. Four sets of eyes glanced up at her the same time.

"I will not run away from my problems," Lily said, her eyes shining with anger and sadness.

"I didn't mean it like that," Nora said, "It's just . . ." she sighed. How could they ever understand.

Kiptyn dropped his gaze to the ground. Miri leaned her head into Will's shoulder, silently crying. Will was staring at the stars, determined not to let his tears flow, not just yet. There would be time later for that, right now he needed to be strong for his friends.

"There's something I never told you guys about my past," Nora whispered. She kept her eyes downcast, "something that no one, aside from Sir Dominick, knows." She took the silence as encouragement to continue.

"When I was thirteen, I ran away from my home." She looked up into four pairs of shocked eyes. "My family was a bunch of rich, peasant haters that had nothing better to do but make everyone below them lives worse." Her eyes hardened at the thought of her family. She curled her hands angrily around the silver dress she was still wearing.

"I just couldn't take them anymore so I did the only thing I could think of, I ran away from my home, from my nightmarish family and away from my kingdom, away from Slytherin. My cousin Sirius and my only other friend in the kingdom, Cora, joined me." She took a deep breath. Talking about them hurt. She felt a cool hand take hers and looked up into Lily's stunning emerald eyes. Lily nodded her head, encouraging her friend to continue.

"We were found by my brother-in-law, the husband of my second oldest sister. We were trying to find Gryffindor where my oldest sister lives. Anyway, my brother-in-law found us and my cousin tried to buy us some time. My friend ran for the woods, she was defenseless, as I stayed behind to help. I tried to fight, but I wasn't very good. My cousin yelled for me to take to the woods and I listened. I wandered around for days trying to find them but I never did. It was late, well after midnight, when I was found by Sir Dominick wandering around the town. He agreed to take me in and take care of me," at this point, tears were now falling down her face. Lily squeezed her hand, tears of her own in her eyes.

"It's not cowardice to run," she said looking at Lily. The other girl nodded her head in understanding.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never knew." Nora smiled at her.

"That's because you believed the lie that I was Sir Dominick's niece," she smiled. Once more they were enveloped in silence.

"Lily, I really don't think you should go," Nora whispered. "There's something about Ahti. All night he gave me chills and it wasn't until after I heard his name that I remembered him." Lily looked at her curiously.

"I had heard from my family, about a sorcerer named Ahti." She looked at all of their shocked faces. "He's a dangerous man, he has been rumored to have dabbled in the Dark side of Magic." Miri gasped.

"Are you sure?" she asked breathlessly.

"It has been only rumors I have heard," Nora responded apologetically. Lily finally stood and walked towards the two bushes that represented the exit. The other four followed her movements with worried eyes.

"Where are you going?" It was Will's worried voice that broke the silence.

"To pack," Lily said. Miri bowed her head in remorse. "I'm leaving tonight."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Lily threw as many belongings as she could into her small bag. She wrapped a cloak around her body for the nights were chilly. She didn't even bother to change out of her dress from the ball. Her hair had fallen down from the up-do Miri had done for her and now it fell in natural curls to her shoulders. Lily tossed her bag out of the window and watched as it landed softly on the ground below. She wished she could just throw herself out of the window and to freedom, but the fall would surely kill her. She was not worried about sneaking around the castle, she had done it many times before, but she wanted to avoid her friends if she could. She knew they would want to help, but she couldn't drag them down with her. No, she had to do this by herself.

She pulled the hood of her black cloak over her head and stared longingly around her room once more. She brushed away the fresh tears and closed the door silently behind her.

Quietly, Lily made her way through the silent castle. She would have to hurry if she wanted to be far away by dawn. She reached the large oak doors and sighed at her good luck. She hadn't seen a single living soul. She quietly opened the heavy doors and slipped outside. She silently closed the doors and walked over to where she threw her bag down. She glanced all around the grounds but couldn't find it. Her heart froze with fear when she thought of who could have picked it up. She would be in serious trouble if it were her parents or the strange man, Lord Ahti. She heard a throat clear behind her and turned to meet the gray eyes of Nora. She sighed in relief when she saw her friends hand wrapped tightly around her bag.

"Going somewhere?" The girl asked cheekily. Lily glared at her and took her bag from her hand.

"I'm leaving, as I stated before. And no," she said as Nora opened her mouth to speak. "You many not come." Nora closed her mouth and glared angrily at Lily. Before either could respond, they heard rushed footsteps. When they turned around, Miri, Will and Kiptyn were standing before them with similar bags in their hands. Lily groaned.

"No, you guys," she said, eyeing all of the warily. "You can't come, it's going to be too dangerous."

"Precisely why someone needs to protect you," Will said.

"No," Lily said forcefully.

"It was my idea, so I'm coming." Nora stated determinedly. Lily fixed a pointed look on her. Nora's eyes softened as she realized that Lily was doing this to protect them. She sighed. "Look Lils I'm just as stubborn as you are. Even if you tell me not to come, I'm going to follow anyway. You can't stop me."

"And we'll do the same," Miri said just as forcefully pointing to herself and the boys. Lily groaned again. She couldn't stop them.

"Fine," she said huffily. "But I refuse to leave Daisy here unprotected." She looked at the two boys. "I want one of you to stay behind and keep an eye on her, exclusively her." They looked at each other before Kiptyn sighed, defeated.

"I'll stay," he said. "I'll keep your sister safe, you have my word." He walked forward and enveloped Lily in a hug. "She's going to be angry at you."

"I know," Lily said sadly. "Please tell her the whole story, she deserves to know. But only tell her." She warned. "I also want your word that you'll keep her from following us."

"I promise," he said. He walked over to Nora and gave her a silent hug, wishing her luck. He walked over to his sister and hugged her. They said a tearful goodbye and he kissed the top of her head. He walked up to Will and shook his hand tightly. "Take care of my sister," he told him. Will nodded his head.

"Of course," he said strongly. They watched Kiptyn walk towards the castle.

"Kiptyn!" Nora yelled quietly. Kip turned back to stare at her. "Keep an eye on Ahti, I'm not sure what he will do. And I'm not entirely certain that the King and Queen made this decision on their own. Protect them too." Kiptyn nodded his head and was then engulfed by the shadows. Lily turned to stare at Nora.

"You don't think this was my parents' idea?" she asked. Nora could hear the hopeful sound in her voice.

"I don't. As I said a few hours ago, Ahti has been rumored to work with Dark Magic," Nora explained, "it wouldn't surprise me if he somehow made this happen. There was a moment, during your party, right when the clock struck twelve, your parents' faces just went . . . well blank. But the next second they were normal and making the announcement. I don't know, it all just seems weird." Lily nodded her head not sure what to think.

"We should hurry," Miri said. "We need to get as far away from here as possible before they discover you are missing." Lily nodded her head and together, she and her friends disappeared into the shadows of the woods before them, the path that would take them to the Wandering Woods. Without her realizing, Lily had begun her adventure, one she had craved since she was a little girl.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Find her!"

Lord Ahti bowed his head as the image of his King reflected in the fire he had conjured up. He had just discovered the girls' disappearance. The flames seared a bright blue with Voldemorts anger.

"This prophecy WILL come true," he bellowed. "I don't care what you do, find the girl and bring her to me."

"Yes, my lord," Ahti responded.

"Use whatever or whoever you have to," King Voldemort told him. Ahti bowed his head once more.

"I understand, my lord."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**A/N: Okay so this was a reeeeeaaaaallyyyyyyy long chapter (over 8,000 words total) so I cut it into two. I cut it where I thought it would be easiest so I hope it makes sense. I honestly liked the second part best, it was so much more fun to write and the words flowed so easily. Anyyyywayyyy . . . enough rambling from me! I hope you guys liked this one (or these ones?). **

**Thanks soooooo much for the favorites and the alerts and specially thanks to the reviews. They make me soooooo verrrryyyyy happy! Lol. So lets make this tradition and please review. Tell me what you like, don't like, what you want to see, what you want me to cut out, anything! I'm all ears! (Well not literally, I have to have some fingers in order to type.) REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! =)**


	7. Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry for the lack of updates but unfortunately my computer decided to get a virus two weeks ago and I have yet to sort it out.

I'm not sure for how much longer I'll be without my computer but I will keep you guys posted.

Unfortunately I can't update until I get it back since all my files are on it. Thanks for your patience and I hope to have my computer back soon and a new chapter uploaded.

- Love-Pink26


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I know it has been forever and a day. I must apologize and say that I did get my laptop back (virus free I might add) but I haven't updated in so long because I've been so busy with school work. But I will try to redeem myself by saying my hard work paid off, I got straight A's for the semester! Whoop whoop. And to celebrate I am posting a new chapter! It took the better part of two days but it is finally finished. **

**I hope you guys like this one. It's a bit different than the others. I used flashbacks, hence the italicized parts. In case it is unclear, James and the boys are 16 going on 17 in the non-italicized parts. Please leave me a review when you're finished reading. They really do make me super happy and hey . . . maybe they'll light the fire under my bum and make me write more, and faster. Lol. Enjoy! =)**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

James drummed his fingers on the top of his wooden desk. He sat there wondering how much more he could take of his professor's droning. He hated this part of his knighthood training. The lessons, save for sword fighting, were such a bore. He didn't see why he would need to learn to brew ingredients to create a potion, there were people in town who did that for a living. He missed the lessons he had as a boy. The ones taught by one of his best friends' father. Feeling his mind drift, James thought back to the day he met Remus.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_A six year old James was running through the halls of the castle. He smiled to himself, his parents had told him many times to never do such a thing because it was very un-prince like. What that meant, James didn't even know, all he knew was that he was having fun breaking the rules. He rounded a corner and nearly toppled into a servant carrying a stack of dishes. James ducked under the man but a loud crash told him the man had lost his footing. James snickered as he continued running. _

"_Wotcher, James," called a friendly voice. James looked up into the smiling face of Andromeda, his mothers favorite dress maker. _

"_Hiya Andi!" James said happily. He had always liked the young girl. _

"_Not causing trouble, are you?" She asked with a knowing smirk. James chuckled. _

"_No, ma'am. You know me," he told her with a wink, he then took off down the hall once more. He could hear Andi's chuckle echoing from behind him. _

"_James!" He froze outside of the throne room. His mother was standing there, her hands on her hips. James gulped at the scowl on her face. Behind her, his father was smiling at him. "What do you think you are doing?" She all but yelled. "How many times have your father and I told you not to run around." James ducked his head. His mother grabbed his hand and led him the opposite way down the hall. _

"_It's time for your lessons." His mother led him to the main floor study where his many lessons were held. Today's lesson was History. He was the Crown Prince of Gryffindor and the sole heir to the throne. He had to learn not only about his own kingdom but of the others as well. His mother rapped on the door once and then opened it. _

"_Good afternoon, John," his mother said to a tall lanky man with sandy blonde hair standing by the window. At his side was a small boy James' age. He looked remarkably like his father. _

"_Your Highness," he said bowing to the Queen. "Ah, young Prince James. I trust you are feeling well?"_

"_Very well, thank you sir." James said, bowing slightly. His eyes flashed to the tired looking boy at the man's side. _

"_James, this is Professor Lupin. He is going to teach you all about history. And is this your son, John?" Queen Margaret gestured to the small boy and offered him a warm smile. _

"_Yes, this is my son Remus," he said, placing his hand on his sons shoulder. "Remus, say hello."_

"_Hello Your Majesty," he said bowing to the Queen. "Your Highness," he said, bowing to James. James chuckled. His mother left the room and Professor Lupin began his lesson. During each lesson after that first, Remus would sit quietly next to James, listening intently to what he said. _

_It was two years later that the boys first spoke. Professor Lupin had left them in the study while he went to the library to retrieve a book. James was lounging in his chair tossing a small golden ball, the size of a golf ball, into the air. Remus sat under the window, his nose buried in a book. _

"_You don't talk much, do you?" James broke the silence. Remus looked up from his book. _

"_Only when there is something to be said," James smiled at the boys' witty comment. _

"_What are you reading there," James asked, nodding his head in the direction of Remus' book. _

"_A book on werewolves," Remus said defensively. James was slightly taken aback but would not let the boys' attitude deter him. _

"_Do you know much about them?" James asked curiously. He was determined to find out why Remus was so defensive. _

"_More than I'd like to," Remus said, just barely above a whisper. James stared at him a moment longer. They sat in a stiff silence. _

"_So," James said, trying to break the silence. "Legends say that werewolves transform at the full moon," He looked to Remus for conformation, but the boy just stared at him stony faced. _

"_I'll take that as a yes," James said offhand, he saw Remus' lips twitch towards a smile so he decided to continue. _

"_So what about an eclipse? Does a werewolf still transform?" This time, Remus was full out smiling. "The moon is full, but cast in shadow." Remus chuckled. _

"_I always wondered the same thing myself. Or how about when you see the moon in the daytime sky, what then?" The two boys laughed for what seemed like hours. When Professor Lupin came back, he had a hard time calming them down. He asked what was so funny, but James and Remus just shared a mischievous smile. _

_After that day, James and Remus became the best of friends. It was hard to find one without the other. They were often seen roaming the halls of the castle or strolling around the town. _

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

James smiled fondly at the memory of his oldest friend. But thinking about his first meeting with Remus brought memories of the day he met Peter.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_It was on one of their adventures around town when they were 12 that they met another friend of theirs. _

_The sun was shining brightly in the sky high above their heads. James and Remus were walking through the streets of town. James smiled charmingly at a group of girls gathered outside one of the stores. _

"_Why do you encourage them?" Remus asked with a smile and a roll of his eyes. _

"_Because it's fun," James said as one of the girls winked and blew a kiss in his direction. _

"_You're going to give yourself a bad reputation," Remus told him with a chuckle. "If only your mother knew what you were up to." James shoved Remus playfully with his shoulder. _

"_Let's go in here," Remus said, stopping out front of a small bookstore. James looked up at the sign and groaned. _

"_Aw Rem, come on!" James whined. Remus, again, rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend by the elbow, dragging him into the store. _

_The shop was small and cozy. A warm feeling and a sweet smell enveloped them when they entered. The walls were lined with shelves stocked full of books. Remus' eyes were alight, like he was a small child who just walked into a candy shop. From beside him, James was looking around, bored. He had never understood Remus' fancy for books. As much as he loved his lessons with Remus and his father, he really preferred sword fighting. James walked around the shelves, glancing at the books. Remus, however, was already engrossed in a book, another five stacked at his feet. _

"_Good afternoon, young sir," Called a kindly lady from behind the counter. She was a stout old lady, just a tad taller than Remus. She had mousy brown hair and watery blue eyes. "Do you need help finding anything?"_

"_No thank you ma'am," Remus said with a smile. From somewhere in the back of the shop, a bell rang. James watched as a stout young boy about his own age entered. He headed towards the counter in the center and James noticed he walked with a slight limp. He walked up to the counter and slipped under it, coming to stand next to the woman. _

"_Peter," the woman said worriedly. "What happened?" She reached up and gingerly touched his eye. James, thoroughly curious, walked closer to the two of them. He could see a small bruise developing around the boy's watery blue eye. He guessed that this boy was the shopkeeper's son. _

"_It's nothing mum," the boy, Peter, said quietly, turning his head out of her reach. The woman placed her hands on her hips and looked at her son sadly. _

"_Is it that MacDonald boy again?" Peter didn't answer his mother. Instead he picked up a nearby book and slipped back under the counter to return it to its proper shelf. "Maybe I should have a talk with his mother." Peter spun around on the spot, a horrified look on his face. _

"_That would only make things worse. I can handle this mum," Peter said forcefully. He shoved the book onto the proper shelf and left the shop. As the door slammed behind him, his mother sighed sadly. James looked from the shopkeeper to the closed door. Remus walked to the counter, his arms loaded with books. He smiled hesitantly at the woman and paid for his things. _

_Just outside of the shop, Remus and James saw Peter sitting on the ground. He had a stick in one hand and was carelessly drawing in the dirt. His other hand was holding his head. James and Remus exchanged glances before heading over to the boy. _

"_Long day?" Remus asked kindly. _

"_You have no idea, I . . ." Peter looked up and saw who was standing in front of him. He stood straight up and spluttered incoherently. Finally, he gathered his wits and sunk down low on one knee. _

"_Pardon my rudeness, Your Highness. I did not realize it was you," he said with his head bowed. James looked curiously at Remus, the other boy was chuckling softly. _

"_Please, no kneeling." James told the boy who hesitantly rose to his feet. "And the name is James." He said with a smile. _

_From then on, Peter began to follow James and Remus around. They were leery at first but grew to appreciate Peter's presence. He did not show it, but Peter was very brave and, like James and Remus, had a bit of a mischievous streak. He was very unpopular in town, but once he started hanging around James and Remus, the other boys stopped their teasing. They would never cross their prince or his friends. _

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

James was snapped out of his memory as the class around him began to scramble. Apparently they were done for the day. James gathered his books into his hands and looked to the boy next to him. His newest friend, Sirius, was sprawled across his desk. His dark black hair hanging over his closed eyes, he even swore he saw a line of drool from his mouth. James chuckled as he elbowed the boy in the ribs. Sirius jumped.

"Where's the fire?" He asked sleepily, looking around the room in a daze. A few students still in the room chuckled, James full out laughed at the boy.

"Come on, mate. It's time for some sword play," James said, pulling Sirius through the room. They walked out of the lesson barracks to the open field where sword fighting practice was to be held.

Sirius had not been with them very long, but the boys were so close it felt like they had known one another for their entire lives. Sirius was originally from the kingdom of Slytherin but he, along with his cousin and friend, fled the lands when they were 13. Sirius had another cousin living in Gryffindor whom he came to stay with. The kingdom and James' parents were hesitant at first to let the new children join them, after all they could be spies, but James, along with Sirius' cousin Andi, his mother's favorite dress maker, convinced them all. Most of the people in town didn't agree with the decision of letting Sirius continue his training but he proved himself, in the three years since he joined them, that he was an able warrior and no traitor.

"Just two more weeks and training is done," James said in an offhand voice as they went to stand with the rest of the trainees.

"Yeah. With this year's trip, I say we take down a dragon," Sirius said with one of his famous smirks. The boys decided that every year, in the beginning of the fall, they would take a trip into the Wandering Woods. They first started it the year before when they were 15, of course James' mother made them take along one of the higher ranking knights, Sir Benjy, but this year, they would be full knights themselves. They would be allowed to go on their own.

James jumped when, out of nowhere, a figure landed in front of Sirius. The figure raised it's sword, getting ready to strike, but Sirius was quick. In an instant he had his own sword drawn and had pushed James to the ground behind him to protect him. He blocked the figures blow and was even able to get a few strikes of his own in there. As suddenly as it began, the attacking stopped. The figure offered his hand to James, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Constant vigilance," their instructor, Sir Moody, said. James smiled ruefully. "Well done Black," he said turning to face Sirius. The lesson continued as such and they were broken off into pairs to practice. It was during their lunch break that James once again found himself lost in his memories.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_A 13 year old James was walking through the hallways of the castle, Remus at his side. Peter was in town, he had promised his mother he would watch the shop for her while she went to the market to pick up some things. _

_As they rounded the corner, they found themselves in the throne room corridor. Down the hall a little ways, a dark figure was standing in front of what James knew to be the throne room, their ear pressed up against the door. James pulled his new sword from around his waist and motioned for Remus to follow him and to be quiet. _

_When they were close enough to see the figure, James sighed with relief. _

"_Andi?" he asked curiously while sheathing his sword. Andi jumped at the sound of her name, her eyes were frantic. When she spotted James, she bowed slightly and offered them a smile. _

"_Wotcher, James." James could tell there wasn't much cheer or emotion behind her greeting. Something was wrong._

"_Andi, is everything okay? It's not Ted or Dora?" James asked worriedly. He was very close with Andi's family. Ted had always been one of his favorite guards and James had taken a liking to the couples little, and strange, daughter, Nymphadora. _

"_Yes, yes. They're fine," she said, glancing at the large doors once more. "It's my cousin, Sirius, and his friend." James looked at her quizzically. He had known Andi and her family his entire life and he never recalled her mentioning a cousin. _

_Seeing his quizzical face, and glancing to the firmly shut doors before her once more, Andi launched into her story. She told him of her running away when she was 17 and how she had been born and grew up in the kingdom of Slytherin. She told him about her 13 year old cousin and his friend who showed up on her doorstep last night, and of how her sister had been with them and was now lost. Andi was doing all she could to hold herself together. _

_In the throne room . . . _

_Cora was sitting on a wooden chair the King and Queen had brought in for her. The poor girl looked dead on her feet. Her light brown hair was matted and covered with leaves and twigs. Sirius didn't look any better. He had scratches up and down his arms and a cut on his cheek that was still bleeding. Sirius stood behind the chair, his hands rested on Cora's shoulders for comfort and support. _

"_Please Your Majesties," Sirius said for what felt like the millionth time. "We are not spies. Just two young teenagers who couldn't take their family situations any longer."_

_King Harold and Queen Margaret regarded the two children in front of them. They could not condemn them, they knew that. But could they keep them? Would their families allow it? Would they send someone after them? Could this spark an actual war amongst the already fragile kingdoms?_

"_Our families don't know we're here, and I doubt they'll find out." Sirius said reasonably. _

"_I doubt mine will care," Cornelia whispered. Sirius gripped her shoulder in comfort. The King and Queen exchanged glances. _

"_Do you have anyone to vouch for you?" Queen Margaret said with a smile, one to rival Sirius'. At this moment, the throne room doors bust open and Andi practically ran into the room, closely followed by James and Remus. _

"_I will, Your Majesties. After all, he is my cousin," Andi said, wrapping her arms around Sirius. The King and Queen smiled. _

_Andi led Sirius and Cora through the halls and out into the main courtyard. Through the gates, they entered into town. They passed many types of shops and café's before they reached a modest shop that read, 'Andi's Boutique'. Andi led them through the front door and into the back room. _

"_Mummy, who are they?" called a small voice from the doorway. _

"_Dora," Andi said softly, "Come meet your cousin, Sirius, and his friend Cornelia." Dora walked hesitantly into the room. She settled herself in her mothers lap and stared at the newcomers. Sirius watched in amazement as the little girl's hair color changed from a mousy brown to bright purple then to bubble gum pink. _

"_Does her hair always do that?" Sirius asked, his mouth agape. Andi chuckled. _

"_Yes, she was born that way. It's a very rare gift to be a Metamorphmagus."_

_There was a bang and a muffled shout from the front of the store. Andi, Dora, Sirius and Cora stood up to see the source of the noise. On the ground, covered in fabrics that had fallen from a nearby table were James and Remus. Both regarded the rather large group with apologetic looks. _

"_Wotcher, James, Remus. What are you two doing?" Andi asked with a chuckle. She helped the boys to their feet. Cornelia watched with a smile as little Dora's hair turned a bright red as she looked at Remus. _

"_Well we just . . ." said James._

"_We wanted to . . ." said Remus._

"_Go for a walk . . ."_

"_And then . . ."_

"_James tripped causing . . ."_

"_I didn't trip . . ."_

"_Fine, the table jumped out at him . . ."_

"_Now you're just being smart . . ."_

"_Something you'll never understand." Remus finished with a smirk. James crossed his arms and glared at his best friend. The others watched the boys' argument with amusement. _

"_All right, all right," Andi said, "James, Remus, this is my cousin Sirius and his friend Cornelia. I trust I don't need to explain their story to you again."_

"_Prince James," Sirius said, bowing. _

"_Please, it's James, just James." Remus made a face behind this back. "And this doxy egg eating idiot is my best friend, Remus." _

"_Cornelia, you look tired. I'll show you to your room while the boys get acquainted." Cora looked gratefully up at Andi. She exchanged a few quick and quiet words with Sirius before she disappeared up the stairs behind Andi and Dora._

"_So . . ." Remus said awkwardly, trying to break the silence. _

"_Do you play Quidditch?" James asked Sirius with a large grin. Remus groaned. _

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

From then on, the boys were practically inseparable. Sirius was allowed to continue his studies as a knight and he joined James in classes. Remus stayed in the castle studying under his father as he hoped to be a professor one day. Peter was often found in town at his mother's shop. She was an older lady and needed his help running her book shop. The boys hung out everyday, usually after training and work. Cornelia stayed in Andi's shop to help her with her work. They soon discovered that she was very skilled with a needle and Andi's costumers doubled.

James couldn't be happier with the way things had turned out. He had three of the best friends he could ever ask for. He was excited that his training was coming to an end. And when he was finished, he would take the usual trip into the Wandering Woods with his friends. He hoped that he would meet some grand adventure there, and he quietly agreed to himself with Sirius, maybe they would take down a dragon.


End file.
